Forged in Fire
by Luana Araceli
Summary: In a world where demons like Hiei are shunned for their blood, Yoko decides to give him a chance when he makes the choice to find a partner for the first time in 800 years.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Yoko looked down his nose at the demons gathered before him. He turned to Mist, his current aide. "This is the best you could do?" he asked, his voice deceptively soft as he gestured with a hand to the crowd. Inside, he was seething. He'd told Mist to bring him demons suitable to be his partner in terms of both strength and temperament. If this crew was an accurate reflection of Mist's thoughts concerning him, he wasn't going to last much longer.

Mist read his mood accurately. "These were the only demons available, Master. All the truly strong ones have been claimed already." What Mist wisely left unsaid was that Yoko was known throughout the demon world for his solitary nature. The very fact that he was considering a proper partner now was causing a stir throughout the makai. The strong demons with partners were going out of their way to make sure those partners didn't find the allure of Yoko's reputation more enticing than their current status. And the unclaimed partners that met Yoko's expectations were all doing their best to keep under the radar. No one knew how Yoko Kurama would treat a partner. It was unprecedented.

Yoko scowled at the gathered demons, taking a small amount of comfort in the fact that they all flinched back from him. When he'd decided to take on a partner, he had thought it would be easy. After all, he was Yoko Kurama. His name held more weight than any other in the makai and his ruthlessness was legendary. _Which,_ he conceded,_ is probably the reason no competent demons have shown up yet._ But he was determined to find a partner. He needed someone who could watch his back, someone he could trust. Living a solitary existence for the last eight hundred years was enough. Now that he'd reached true adulthood, it was time to find someone who could potentially become his mate. That thought made him glance at the demons before him and he scowled again.

"Mist," he said, turning to his aide.

The short, slightly chubby, gray-skinned tremor demon looked up immediately from where he was chastising a servant for his ineptitude, giving his full attention to Yoko. "Yes, Master?" he asked, his voice soft and airy.

"If you don't have at least one competent demon for me in a week, I will replace you." Yoko waited for fear to surface in Mist's eyes, the way it normally did when he was confronted with the potential loss of his job. It never rose, which made the kitsune immediately suspicious. He advanced on the tremor demon, towering over him as he placed a hand roughly around his throat, glad that this aide was smart enough not to back away, not to struggle, not to give him any reason to squeeze. Because if he started to squeeze, he would end the demon's life before letting up. It was how his last aide had lost his job. "Are you holding back on me, Mist?"

Mist swallowed convulsively, fear filling his eyes as he looked up at Yoko. "Not exactly, Master."

"Not exactly?" Yoko's voice tightened in disbelief; he forced himself not to shout the words and struggled to retain his calm.

Mist spoke hesitantly. "There is one demon, but he is considered an abomination. I did not want to taint you with his presence, Master."

Yoko snorted and released his hold on Mist, stepping away from him. After eight hundred years, he'd learned there weren't many superstitions that held up under rational examination. "And?" he said. "Tell me about this abomination."

"His name is Hiei," Mist said. "He was born to koorime and he currently holds the Jaganshi title."

"That's a lot to take in," Yoko said, surprise coloring his tone. The fact that there was a male born to koorime still alive in the world was a staggering one by itself, but throw in the fact that he was also the Jaganshi holder and it was almost surreal. "What element does he have power over?"

"Fire."

Yoko felt a smile began to tug at his lips. Fire would be a perfect complement to his plants, despite the concurrent danger. "What class is he?" When Mist didn't answer immediately, Yoko felt himself growing concerned. He turned to the tremor demon. "Well?"

Mist sighed. "You aren't going to like it, Master."

"There are a lot of things I don't like, Mist. You not being immediately forthcoming, for one." Yoko narrowed his eyes.

Mist closed his eyes, gathering his strength to him. "You're right, of course, Master. I apologize. Hiei is considered D class."

"Even holding the Jaganshi?" That was surprising. Such a title was generally reserved for someone of B class or higher.

"He is ranked as a D class demon because he is an abomination. His powers have nothing to do with his ranking whatsoever."

Yoko rolled his eyes. Typical. Demons were considered an abomination to the human world, which made you think they'd all stick together. But no, there just had to be demons that all the other demons thought unworthy simply because of the way they'd been born. It was sickening. "If he was ranked properly, according to his powers, where would he rank?"

Mist made a face, obviously uncomfortable with considering where an abomination would rank. He sighed in defeat. "He would probably be ranked A class."

Yoko went from being amused at Mist's discomfort to instantly outraged by his prejudice. "Mist."

"Yes, Master?"

"Are you telling me that the only competent demon you found, this abomination, isn't here simply because you didn't wish to taint me?"

Mist swallowed hard, the gleam in Yoko's eye filling him with dread. To answer yes to that question was tantamount to suicide, but to answer no... to lie to Yoko Kurama, that was something you did only if you wished to suffer before dying. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Yes, Master," he said, dropping his eyes so that he wouldn't have to face Yoko's truly terrifying rage.

"Did I ask you for such considerations, Mist? Do I appear so weak as to need you to protect me from such things?"

The questions were asked calmly, but the rage behind them...Mist trembled. He dropped to his knees, sinking his forehead into the ground in abject apology.

Yoko glared at the demon kneeling before him, struggling with the need to take him into his private chambers and teach him a thing or two about service. There were lines that aides just didn't cross and usually, Mist didn't cross them. But this superstition made him weak and foolish. "You were so caught up in your belief that such a demon would taint me that it blinded you. As penance, you will personally go to Hiei and tell him that I have requested his presence. And you will say it that way. Requested. Not demanded. Not required. Nothing else. And if he denies the request, I will kill you for your foolishness. Now get up."

Mist struggled to his feet, holding blubbery arms to his eyes as he attempted to wipe the tears that had escaped. "Requested. Master, I don't know if Hiei is even interested in partnering. All the things I've heard about him indicate he has very stubborn and independent. He may be a solo player."

Yoko smiled unpleasantly. "For your sake, Mist, you better hope he's a team player."

Mist blanched, then bowed once in Yoko's direction. "I will return with him by tomorrow." He left unspoken that he wouldn't show up if Hiei didn't agree to the request. It didn't need to be said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Hiei looked up from his book when he heard a knock on his door. Instantly, his hand was on his sword as he moved stealthily towards the entrance of his cabin. No one was supposed to know he was out here. He'd paid Rakshi quite handsomely to make sure of that. He scowled as he thought of it. The next time he saw that demon, he was going to have to teach him a lesson.

The knock came again. It sounded hesitant, which brought Hiei up short. He'd never heard anyone knock so uncertainly in his life. You either wanted to do business with the person in residence or you wanted to kill him. But you didn't visit someone with hesitation. It just wasn't _safe._

He scowled at the door and slipped his sword into the sheath at his side. Whoever it was, if they were dangerous, would find out in a hurry just how quick his draw was. Making another face at the door as a third knock fell, he opened the door and came face-to-face with a tremor demon. He groaned. Just what he needed. Tremor demons were the most superstitious in all the makai and they especially hated male koorime. Normally that would mean that Hiei would be putting that sword to good use right about now, but this tremor demon just looked terrified.

"Hiei, I presume?" the demon asked.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Mist. I'm Yoko Kurama's associate."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to fall for that tripe?" He'd heard some lines in his day, but this was too rich. Yoko Kurama's associate. Seriously. What a lame way to try to unbalance him.

"I-well, no-I'm serious!"

"Uh-huh, sure. Look, buddy, you've had your fun making fun of the male koorime, so you can just turn around and make your merry way out of my life."

Mist looked almost offended by that, which pleased Hiei. Offending a tremor demon was almost as good as killing one. "Listen, you piece-" he stopped mid-sentence, then took a deep breath.

Hiei raised his eyebrows. A tremor demon had just stopped mid-insult. That wasn't a sight you saw everyday. "Piece of what?" he goaded. "What were you going to call me, hmm? I bet your insults are as unoriginal as your fake claims."

The tremor demon growled and stomped his way a few feet away from the house, taking up residence on a log Hiei had set up to make outside reading more comfortable. "Stupid Yoko, I told him this wouldn't work," Mist muttered to himself, balling himself up.

Hiei was pretty sure the demon didn't know how good his hearing was-it was a secret he kept well-hidden and it had served him well in the past. Listening to this delusion demon's rambling probably was probably useless, but he'd learned the hard way that sometimes the most useless comments contained the most important.

"I told him male koorime are an insult to nature, but that fucking kitsune just won't listen to reason. He's so obsessed with finding a partner he'll even consider the most abominable creations in the makai. Just because this demon happens to have the Jaganshi title and would rank as an A class if he were normal doesn't mean he's a good match for you, stupid fox. And now I can't even come back and tell you the problem is that he doesn't believe I'm your aide because you said I was as good as dead if I came back without him. Hiei is already tainting you and you haven't even met him. Going to lose the best aide you've ever had just because of a stupid male koorime. Fucking Yoko."

The words of the tremor demon dissolved into tears then and the babble became indecipherable. But Hiei had heard enough of the demon's rambling to know that he was either delusional or telling the truth. Which was shocking in and of itself, since he didn't know of any demon who would choose a tremor demon as an aide. They were an ugly and superstitious lot, but more than that...they were absolutely brutal. For one to be sobbing so openly...well, there was only one demon in the entire makai considered more ruthless than a tremor demon. And that was Yoko Kurama.

Hiei closed the door to his cabin quietly and went back to his bed, sitting on it as he tried to take in everything he'd heard and the implications of all of it. He had a tremor demon sobbing in his front yard because he'd been ordered to bring Hiei to Yoko Kurama and couldn't do it. But he hadn't used force, which he could have easily resorted to, so it was easy to infer that Kurama hadn't demanded Hiei's presence but requested it. There was no other reason a tremor demon would avoid the use of force.

On top of that, he'd just learned that if the stupid rules in their ranking system weren't in place, he'd be considered an A class demon. He knew he was strong-that was pretty apparent in the way his enemies fell before him-but he'd thought that he was potentially C class, B class at best. But A class. That felt like it was miles away for him. To have heard so casually that he already _was_ A class in terms of his power was thrilling. But the last thing he'd heard was truly the most important.

Yoko Kurama was looking for a partner. Hiei had heard rumors to that affect, but had dismissed them as ludicrous. There was no way such a ruthless solo needed a partner. Besides, Hiei had never met any demon who was competent enough in his eyes for him to consider partnering. He knew, deep down, that he _was _a partner in essence, but he'd always been forced to fly solo. He'd had to make his own decisions about everything for the last hundred years. He wasn't sure he was ready to give up his freedom. Not even if it meant potentially becoming partner to Yoko Kurama.

Ah, hell. Who the hell was he trying to kid? Yoko Kurama was a legend. For a long time, he was the thief Hiei had modeled his own skills after until he'd developed his own unique style. And he had to admit to himself that he'd always admired Yoko. Not only for his thieving, but also for his brutality and ruthlessness. He didn't tolerate incompetence, which was a sentiment that Hiei could agree with all too readily.

Hiei sighed and stood up, beginning to pace around the room. There was just so much to take in. He knew of Yoko, but he'd never met the kitsune, so there was no guarantee that they'd get along. On top of that, he knew that partners were supposed to be subservient in absolutely every way to the demon of the pair who was considered a solo partner, which meant that they didn't have the drive to claim a partner the way the other partner did. Hiei had always had that drive-he'd just had to ruthlessly suppress it in order to survive. The very few solos that he'd teamed up with had all betrayed him, all used his koorime status as a way to achieve more victories for themselves rather than truly partnering with him. And they had been abusive. Hiei winced at the memories that produced and it made him curious how Yoko would act.

It also made him cautious. Because he wouldn't just roll over and play partner for anyone. Not even Yoko. Respect and obedience had to be earned; they weren't something a solo could just expect from a partner.

That brought him to the fact that Yoko had sent his aide to _request_ his presence, not demand it. That was a good sign and it was more than he'd ever had from any of his previous solos. It meant that Yoko didn't expect his partner to be easily rolled. That was reassuring. Hiei felt a slight twinge of guilt for the fact he had left Mist outside to hyper-ventilate, but it was only slight. It was easily justifiable to allow the demon to continue stewing, considering how horribly his kind had treated Hiei for decades. A little mental distress was nothing in comparison.

The question was...what did he do? Did he answer the request from Yoko and send his life spinning out of control and risk everything he'd built for himself on the mere hope that Yoko would turn out to be the type of solo he wanted to partner? Or did he play it safe?

A knock at the door made him tense, before he realized by the sound that it was Mist. He made his way to the door and opened it, one hand on his sword-just in case. The tremor demon looked up at him, eyes red and splotchy.  
>"What do you want, Mist?"<p>

"I can't offer you any proof that I'm Yoko's aide," the demon said, ignoring the question entirely. "All I can do is what I was told. Yoko told me to come here and request your presence at his estate tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" Hiei's mind whirl-winded. So soon? That wasn't nearly enough time to make a decision! He narrowed his eyes at Mist. "Requested?" He had already figured it out, of course, but hearing the words...having it confirmed that Yoko had truly asked and not demanded was more important to him than he'd realized.

"Yes. Requested. If you want to go, I shall accompany you."

"How long of a walk is it from here?"

"For a tremor demon, an hour. For everyone else, about a day's walk."

"Yeah, you guys are really good at burrowing, aren't you?" Hiei said, the comment offhand and not meant to be insulting.

"We're not worms!" Mist scowled at him, arms crossed over his chest.

Hiei blinked, then laughed. "You have a lot of nerve, getting upset over such a small insult considering the types of things your kind have said about _me._"

Mist harrumphed.

"I'll go," Hiei said, mind suddenly made up. He wasn't even aware of making a decision, but the words were out of his mouth and he never took back what he said. It was a point of pride.

"Really?" Mist's eyes all but lit up.

"Really."

"So you believe me?"

Hiei shrugged. "I don't know what I believe. But a day's walk won't hurt me and if I find out you're lying, I can always slit your throat. It's a no-lose situation."

"Right. Like you could kill me." Tremor demons were notoriously difficult to even harm, let alone kill.

"I've killed five of your kind so far," Hiei said, shrugging. It just took figuring out the right pressure points to get past their scaly skin.

"For what reason?" The outrage in Mist's voice was almost tangible.

Hiei looked askance at him. "Did you really just ask _me_ that question?"

Mist had the grace to look embarrassed. "Not our fault you're an abomination."

It was the most half-hearted insult he'd ever heard, so Hiei let it pass. Obviously he wasn't enough of an abomination for Yoko Kurama to consider him one, and that was affecting the tremor's demons convictions. As they began the walk towards Yoko's estate, Hiei could only hope that he was making the right decision.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Yoko perched on the edge of the sofa the next morning, feeling content in his kitsune form. He was given few chances to just relax and enjoy himself, as there were generally a lot of jobs lined up that demanded his attention. But he had decided about six months ago that he needed a vacation because there were only so many possessions he could keep in one place. His nose twitched in amusement; his estate was beginning to look more like a dragon's lair than a mansion. He needed his servants to start clearing it out. There were at least six other mansions in the makai that belonged to him where stuff could be stored.

He licked a paw absently, thinking about the things Mist had told him earlier that day. A male koorime. Yoko had heard of a few of them being born during his long lifetime, but he'd never heard about one surviving the swift execution normally visited upon them. He wondered idly how Hiei had managed to survive when all the other male koorime had died. What made him so durable?

Koorime were one of the fiercest demon species Yoko had ever come across. He had tangled with one once, in an attempt to steal a tear gem. That was one of the few jobs he had failed. Tear gems were so incredibly precious to koorime that they would fight harder to keep them away from an enemy than even to protect their own lives. In point of fact, the koorime he'd gone after for the tear gem had jumped off a cliff to keep the gem from him. Of course, Yoko had gone down to the bottom of the cliff and scoured the ground for days trying to locate it, but was forced to admit the futility of it.

He wondered if male koorime also possessed tear gems, or if they were unique to the females. If Hiei did agree to partner him, what would that mean for him? A tear gem was the most valuable gem in all of the makai. There were people who killed for any gem that had the potential to maybe be a tear gem, even though in ninety percent of those cases, the gem turned out to be a replica made out of crystallized stone. Which was completely worthless, of course. Still, it showed just how far people would go to possess such a precious jewel.

But of course, the possibility of a tear gem was the last thing that Yoko should be considering. Hiei was a male koorime with power over fire and the Jaganshi title. The first was the largest issue at hand. In the best case scenario with Hiei accepting his offer, the two of them would have to deal with the pressure of other demons who would find the very thought of partnering an imiko offensive. And for Yoko Kurama, the most notorious demon in the makai to do it, well... there was no telling what the response would be.

For the more experienced demons, of course, the fact that Hiei held the Jaganshi title would be enough to hold them back. As far as Yoko knew, he was the first in over a millenia to be able to claim such a title. The process of the Jagan insertion generally drove a person insane. To survive it... well, impressive was too mild a word. Others, of course, would just look at the fact that an imiko possessed such a title as a fluke or an aberration. They would use it as an excuse to come after him and after the demon who lay claim to him, as well.

In short, Yoko would be in more danger if he claimed Hiei than he had ever been in his entire life. It was a fact that would cause most demons to think twice before offering a claim. But to Yoko, the idea of danger sent a thrill through him. He loved the feel of the chase, whether he was the one doing the chasing or the one being chased. Predator or prey, it didn't matter. Living on the edge like that was the only way _to_ live. To him, Hiei represented a chance to truly feel alive again, a feeling that had only diminished over time.

That feeling, the lack of excitement, was what had brought on his desire for a vacation and his subsequent decision to look for a partner. He thought that maybe if someone were to accompany him during jobs, it would alleviate the boredom he'd been feeling.

It had been nearly a month since he'd announced to the general population that he was in search of a partner. The first week had been hell. The A and B class demons had flocked to his door in droves, eager to be the one that Yoko Kurama took under his wing. There had been a few potentials in the mix, but none of them ever treated him as anything other than legendary. Awestruck, terrified, and inferior. Not one of them had dared to treat him as a potential equal. And that was what he was looking for.

He had no use for a partner who wouldn't be able to hold his own in an argument with him or one who would tremble in fear at the slightest narrowing of his eyes. All of the A and B class demons that had shown up so far had been so scared of the rumors of his ruthlessness that they had spent most of their time trying to convince him that they weren't a threat to him.

Yoko snorted at the memory. One had even gone so far as to fall to his knees and swear on his life never to risk Yoko's ire in front of at least two dozen other demons. The thought sobered him; he hoped Hiei wasn't like all of them. Just because he was a living legend didn't mean he wanted his partner to treat him like one.

If Hiei didn't have the potential to be his partner, then Yoko would just go solo and forget about the whole partnering business. He didn't _need _to have a companion. It was purely desire for him. After all, he had survived the last eight hundred years alone.

Yoko sighed and shifted back into his humanoid form. It was nearing noon. Mist should be back with Hiei at any time if the koorime had agreed to the request. If the tremor demon didn't show up, it would be because he'd failed. Death wasn't a threat Yoko offered easily, but lately his aide had been taking more and more liberties with him. For a servant, that type of attitude was entirely unacceptable. He'd have to seriously consider whether he wanted to retain Mist's services later. Of course, if the tremor demon didn't show up, he'd have to send someone out to kill him in his stead. No one escaped Yoko's wrath.

Right as he was shifting, one of his servants ran up to him, shifting from his racoon form to his humanoid one in a fluid motion that made Yoko proud. "Master, Mist and the koorime are coming in on the south road. They should be here in the next fifteen minutes."

Yoko inclined his head to let the boy know he'd heard him. He slipped his hakama on and headed down the stairs towards the parlor. He wasn't really sure how he was supposed to greet Hiei, since he'd never dealt with an imiko before. Or a male koorime. Or a Jaganshi. It was going to be a day chalk full of new experiences. The thought made him smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Hiei looked at the mansion looming before them, hiding his awe. He had never seen a house so big before. Castles and palaces were one thing-they were supposed to be enormous. But it seemed almost wrong for a house to be so large. For one thing, it didn't speak to the cozy atmosphere he believed it was important to have when at home. And for another, it seemed rather aloof. As if solitude was its preferred state of existence.

An ironic smile twisted his lips. It made sense, then, for Yoko Kurama to live in such a place. After all, there was no one more suited to the solitary lifestyle than the master thief of the makai. Seeing the mansion made Hiei wonder all over again why the kitsune was looking for a partner. Boredom, maybe. It was said that Yoko was over a hundred years old, but no one knew his true age. Rumors suggested anywhere from a hundred to a millenia and it was a topic speculated about quite often. Hiei himself had ventured a guess or two on occasion, but generally found himself uninterested in idle gossip.

He spared a sidelong glance to the tremor demon at his side. Mist seemed to have regained his confidence. He supposed the scaly demon had earned it. He knew he was rather difficult to deal with. He felt his heart twist with a bit of sympathy for the tremor demon and he rolled his eyes at himself. Tremor demons had hunted him mercilessly for years but it figured that the first one who treated him with any semblance of respect would manage to wrangle a bit of sympathy from him. If Hiei had a weakness, it was that he was too soft in his own eyes. He could kill mercilessly, but once someone showed him even a shred of kindness, he had a tendency to blind himself to their faults. Which was how he'd ended up in partnerships where his solo had abused him. He made a face at himself. This time he couldn't afford to give himself away so easily-he was dealing with Yoko Kurama, after all.

Hiei wondered how Yoko was going to act. It was going to be his first time ever meeting someone of Yoko's class, which made him a bit nervous. He had never even been in the same room with an S ranked demon before, let alone considered as potential partner material for one. He frowned at the thought. If he ended up accepting Yoko's proposal, it would create trouble for both of them. After all, he was an imiko, an abomination-his very existence an aberration.

The potential danger didn't bother him. He had been surrounded by danger since the moment he was born. What concerned him was whether or not Yoko had considered that angle and its implications before requesting his presence. If he hadn't and Hiei brought it up, would it make Yoko dismiss his potential as a partner out of hand? Hiei sighed. In all his experience, such a thing happening was entirely plausible. Hell, not just plausible, but the most likely scenario.

He would probably walk into Yoko's mansion, meet the legend, be a disappointment to him, and be dismissed entirely. That was generally his luck. He squared his shoulders as the door to the mansion loomed in front of him. He was a few feet away from meeting the only demon he'd ever respected, even if only from a distance. He began to take a step forward, only to have Mist place a hand on his arm to stop him. Glaring, he turned to face the tremor demon.

Mist scowled at him. "Not yet."

Hiei yanked his arm away and scowled, tapping his foot as he waited for a reason.

"I must warn you before we go inside."

"Warn me of what?" Hiei demanded, arms crossed fully over his chest.

Mist began to answer when the sound of the door being opened from the other side silenced him as Yoko stepped out.

"Do go on, Mist. I would love to hear what you wish to warn him about," the kitsune said, fire flashing in his golden eyes.

Hiei took the time that Yoko was spending glaring at Mist to stare at him. The kitsune in his humanoid form was the most alluring male he'd ever seen. His ears sat in almost perfect symmetry between silver hair that gleamed in the sunlight as it fell down past his shoulders. Speaking of his shoulders, they were broad and firm, his entire upper body muscular and trim. Allowing his eyes to drift lower, Hiei noted the silver tail curled around Yoko's thighs and that his lower body was just as muscular as the top half. This survey of Yoko's physical features took no less than half a second, so he didn't miss the exchange between the two demons.

"Master Yoko," Mist said, his voice going tight with fear.

"Mist, you are severely trying my patience." There was no mistaking the menace in Yoko's tone.

"I was only going to warn him about your inability to resist killing someone you have in a choke if they struggle," the gray demon finally muttered.

Hiei rolled his eyes and spoke before Yoko had a chance to respond. "You really like to drama things up, don't you?" He turned to the kitsune. "Your aide is an idiot. What ever possessed you to use a tremor demon?"

Yoko smothered a laugh, reducing it to a small smile. "Tremor demons are the only ones who are tough enough to handle my temper."

Hiei raised an eyebrow, deliberately meeting Yoko's eyes. He was determined to treat this S class demon the same way he would anyone else. "I'm not so sure that's true."

Yoko didn't bother to suppress his laugh this time. "Perhaps," he acknowledged with a slight grin. "Here, let's go inside where we can talk more comfortably." He pushed the door open with his palm and walked inside.

Hiei stared at Yoko's back for a moment, taking note of the fact the kitsune expected to be obeyed without question. Snorting silently, he followed him into the parlor, keeping his awe at his surroundings in check. He was here to talk business, not ogle the art on the walls.

Yoko settled on a red sofa, curling his feet up underneath him, his tail tucked comfortably around them as he studied the small demon in front of him. Physically, Hiei was incredibly attractive and he could see that his small stature would work in his favor as it would lead enemies to underestimate him. The imiko's black hair was the darkest shade he'd ever seen with a white starburst that made him itch to run his hands through it and he wondered idly if it was as silky as it looked. The white headband around his head was obviously a barrier sealing in the Jagan and his eyes were red, a color nearly as rare as the gold of Yoko's own.

Hiei looked around a moment, noting absently that Mist had disappeared, before deciding on the matching chair to Yoko's right. He didn't want to appear too aloof by choosing a seat on the opposite side of the room, nor too forward by choosing a seat directly beside the kitsune. He felt Yoko staring at him, probably sizing him up, but didn't comment on it. He was used to other demons eyeing him, but they were usually trying to decide if he really was as frail as he appeared. He held no illusions about his appearance; he knew he looked weak.

Finally, Yoko spoke. "I assume you know why I requested your presence here."

"I know you're looking for a partner," Hiei said, shrugging. He was still pretty convinced he was going to walk out of here flying solo. That's how it generally worked for him.

Yoko stared at the demon sitting across from him, trying to read the expressions on the koorime's face. If he didn't know better, he could swear that the demon didn't expect anything to come of this meeting. "I am. Did you see the notice when I first sent it out?"

"I did," Hiei said.

"Why didn't you come then?" Yoko asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Hiei stared at him, then gestured at himself. "Why would I presume to come here without an invitation?" He knew his voice was bitter, but he couldn't help it. "To most, I am just an imiko, not worth consideration."

Yoko frowned. "Please do not refer to yourself as an imiko. You are not cursed, nor are you an aberration."

Hiei snorted, sure the kitsune was just humoring him. But the eyes that met his were deadly serious. He blinked in astonishment. No one had ever denied he was an imiko, but Yoko seemed intent on making sure it was understood he didn't consider him one. "Why do you say that? There isn't a single demon out there who would agree with you."

Yoko tossed his hair back over his shoulder and grinned mischievously. "Why should I care if they agree with me? They can't touch me."

Hiei smiled wryly. "True enough. But I still have to know why you don't consider me an abomination."

The kitsune shrugged. "That's easy enough to answer. I don't hold stock in any superstition and it is only superstition that says a male koorime is an imiko. I personally find it impressive that you survived. No one else has."

"I don't know how I survived, if you are asking," Hiei said. "I know that I was thrown off a cliff when I was an infant and assumed dead. I was taken in by a band of thieves that found me but they abandoned me when I was about five years old because I took a life and it terrified them."

"You were only five when you killed your first?"

Hiei nodded, suddenly uncomfortable. Very few had been able to accept that he had become a killer at such a young age.

"I find that impressive."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Most would say terrifying."

Yoko flashed a grin that was all teeth. "I am not most."

"That's good to know. I'd hate to partner with someone afraid of his own shadow." Shit, the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Hiei flushed but didn't take them back.

Yoko laughed throatily. "I agree with the sentiment entirely. My aide wasn't sure you were even interested in partnering at all," he said, changing the subject abruptly.

"I have always been interested," Hiei admitted reluctantly, "but most of the demons I have attempted partnerships with before have ended up betraying me."

"And where are these demons now?" Yoko asked.

It was Hiei's turn to smile with all teeth. "Dead," he said, unable to hide the satisfaction that thought caused him.

"Ah. So you kill anyone who betrays you?"

Hiei blinked. "Well, no. Just the ones whose betrayal is severe enough to warrant death."

"And all of these partners in the past have warranted death?" Yoko was curious and a bit concerned. He definitely didn't want to take on someone with a habit of killing his partner.

Hiei either didn't notice the hesitation in Yoko's voice or simply didn't feel it mattered. "Yes," he said. "They did."

"Mind if I ask what they did that was so bad?"

"One of them attempted to sell me to a human bounty hunter, one of them tried to destroy the Jagan the only time I ever used it in front of him, and one of them took on a second partner and assigned him the task of killing me."

Yoko blinked back his surprise. All of those cases warranted death. To do any of those things to a partner were just unthinkable. And unforgiveable. "Have you had any partners who didn't betray you in such a severe way?"

Hiei looked away, uncomfortable. "Yes. One."

Yoko wanted to press, but he could tell that this was a subject Hiei wasn't quite ready to talk about with him. "Okay."

Hiei blinked. That was it? Just okay? He was expecting more of an interrogation. His previous partners had all pushed and prodded until they had gotten his entire life story before even considering him.

"Do you have any questions for me?" Yoko asked, pulling Hiei back to the conversation.

"Why are you looking for a partner?"

"Do you want the simple reason or the complex one?"

"Simple is fine for now."

"Well the simple reason is that I'm bored of flying solo. I've spent more than enough time on my own and I am curious to find out what it's like to have a partner."

Hiei nodded. He'd thought it might be something like that. "You don't have to answer, but I am curious as to just how long you have lived."

Yoko smiled indulgently. "Most are. That's something I will tell you if, and only if, the two of us decide that we would work as partners."

"Fair enough."

"Any other questions before we discuss how partnering would work between us?" "Yeah. Why were you interested in me?"

Yoko laughed softly. "Because you're nothing I've ever experienced before. That grabbed my attention immediately."

Hiei scowled. "So I'm just a novelty?"

Yoko lost his amusement, eyes flashing dangerously. "I would never have seriously considered you as a partner if I thought all you would be was a novelty."

Hiei felt himself tense a little at the anger in Yoko's tone, but it didn't floor him. "Good," he said. "Because I would never seriously consider partnering someone who wanted to use me as a trophy."

Yoko stared at the koorime as he processed the fact that the demon had just stood his ground. No one ever stood their ground. For the first time, he felt hope blossom in his chest. "Of course not," he said. "Besides, that was only what grabbed my attention. Not what held it."

"And what was that, then?" Hiei asked, arms crossed stiffly across his chest.

Yoko grinned. "You, of course."

Hiei faltered, unable to think of anything to say in response. That had been the last thing he'd expected the kitsune to say to him. "Oh," he said dumbly.

Feeling smug, Yoko asked, "Shall we discuss the implications of partnering now?"

Hiei nodded, motioning with his hand for the kitsune to begin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Yoko had to admit to himself that Hiei was looking more and more like the perfect candidate. He had a fighter's temperament and if the kitsune was honest with himself, he made good eye candy. Still, there were some things that had to be addressed before he extended an offer of partnership to the small demon. "Let's speak hypothetically for a bit," he said, "and assume that we are going to partner. What do you expect from me?"

Hiei looked momentarily startled, but masked it quickly. Yoko had to admit that the koorime's ability to completely mask his emotions was pretty impressive and would be useful in a fight. "Hypothetically speaking?" he asked, as if seeking confirmation.

Yoko nodded, allowing a small smile to grace his lips.

Hiei snorted. "Why do I get the feeling some of the others you have asked this have fallen over themselves and sworn not to expect anything from you?"

"Because they did," Yoko answered, shrugging. He was used to being treated like a legend. Star treatment was only novel for the first few months and then it just became a nuisance. Being noticed all the time wasn't exactly good for business so he'd had to develop countless bags of tricks to get around his notoriety, which of course, just made him that much more notorious, which in turn forced him to develop even more tricks. It was a vicious cycle.

"Well," Hiei said, pursing his lips. "I certainly have expectations. It's ridiculous to claim otherwise."

"And what would those expectations be?"

"I would expect my solo to protect me to the best of his ability and not to use my abilities for selfish reasons without consulting me first. I expect to be treated with dignity and respect and I expect to be sheltered and provided for."

Those were all common sense, so Yoko didn't dispute them. If a solo couldn't provide that much to his partner, he wasn't worthy of having a partner. "And in return for those things, what could I expect from you?"

Hiei answered almost immediately. "I would give you my obedience as well as my loyalty. I would protect you to the best of my ability as well, since I am a fighter too." He hesitated for a moment, then ducked his head, flushing as he spoke. "Depending on how well things worked out between us, I would potentially consider the giving of a tear gem."

Yoko was silent a moment, digesting that. "How many have taken you on with the simple hope that the last would come true for them?" he asked, his voice almost a murmur.

Hiei raised his head, meeting Yoko's eyes deliberately. "None," he said. "I have never voiced the possibility to anyone but you."

That statement floored Yoko. "I-but why?" he finally asked, unable to find better words to voice his thoughts. What had he done to deserve such an offer, even hypothetically made?

"Because you are the first demon who has ever treated me with respect."

The honesty in those words made Yoko feel incredibly sad. The demon who sat in front of him was beautiful and more than worthy of being respected. Just because he happened to be born to the wrong set of demons, he'd had to face hardships few others would ever understand. He shook his head, clearing it of those thoughts. They would have to wait until Hiei was his, if that was the road the two of them decided to take.

"What expectations would you have of me?" Hiei asked, voice soft.

The question startled Yoko out of his reflection. No one had ever asked him that. "Mostly, I would expect obedience."

"And the issue of punishment?" Hiei asked. He wasn't naive enough to think that he would always follow the rules to the letter. Everyone messed up now and then and he was no exception to that.

Yoko took a deep breath, then sighed as he released it. This was the part that he had been most worried about. "It is not in my nature to be lenient," he said.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "I knew that about you before I met you," he said, a bit of snark in his voice.

Yoko smiled wryly. "I suppose I am rather infamous for my ruthlessness."

"As well as your lack of tolerance for incompetence. Both of which, by the way, I happen to admire."

Yoko raised an eyebrow. "You admire me?" he asked, unable to help teasing him.

Hiei flushed, scowling. "Yes," he said, biting off the word like it was painful to say.

Yoko chuckled. "I also expect honesty. Lying is one of the things I consider to be the most insulting, so lying to me would be inviting the harshest punishment I can inflict."

Hiei took a deep breath. "I am not usually a liar. The truth gets me into enough trouble."

"Yes, I suppose it would," Yoko said, musing. Out of all the demons he'd ever met, Hiei probably had the fewest reasons to lie of any of them. "The final expectation I would have of you is sex."

Hiei blinked. "Considering you're a kitsune, I figured that was implicit."

Yoko laughed. "Of course. But some demons came to me with the expectation that I would not want to exercise body rights over them."

"You rejected them out of hand, of course," Hiei said, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Of course," Yoko said. "Can you imagine a kitsune being tied to a partner who doesn't want to have sex? It's unthinkable!"

Hiei laughed, then sobered. "What about marking?" he asked.

Yoko fought not to wince at the question because this is where he'd had the most trouble with the two or three demons that had come the closest before Hiei to having potential. "If we partner, I will brand you," he said, keeping his tone emotionless. Internally, he was waiting with baited breath for Hiei's reaction to that statement.

"Hmm. Brand me? Where? And how?"

"I would use an iron," Yoko said. "As to where, probably here." He reached out and traced his fingers along the skin directly behind Hiei's right earlobe.

Hiei's breath hitched. "That is said to be the most painful place to be branded."

Yoko smiled. "It is." He didn't offer an explanation for why he'd put the brand there. He didn't want to scare Hiei off by telling him that he would put his mark there precisely because it was the most painful place and thus the most meaningful. For a partner to sit there and let a solo brand them behind their lobe was an intimacy very few got to enjoy and it demonstrated a level of trust that few pairs managed to obtain.

"Why would you want to brand _me_ there?" Hiei asked, voice small and uncertain. "I am not worth that."

Yoko frowned. "You don't think very highly of yourself."

Hiei looked away. "It's hard to have high self-esteem when the entire world is always telling me how worthless I am."

"Then they don't see what I do." Saying those words made Hiei look back up at him, which made Yoko smile. Hiei's red eyes were beautiful; it felt almost like he was staring at a battlefield when he looked at them. And battlefields were where he always had the most fun.

Hiei half-shrugged, uncomfortable with the implied compliment. "I have no problems with branding," he said. "Actually, I've always liked the idea...just never really trusted anyone enough to agree to it."

"Has anyone ever asked it of you before?" Yoko asked, curious. If they had and been refused, it might explain why the koorime's past solos had treated him so badly.

"Yeah," Hiei said softly. "Just one."

"What happened?"

"He died."

Yoko was silent for a moment. "Did you agree to being branded by him?" he asked softly.

Hiei shook his head no. "I told him I needed time to think about it, which he was more than willing to give me. But he died before I could give him an answer."

There was more there, Yoko was sure of it, but he wasn't going to press. Not when it was something that still obviously bothered the koorime so much. "Were you going to say yes?" he asked instead.

"I don't know," Hiei said, pain crossing his eyes. "I was still undecided when he died."

It was hard to know what to say to that, so Yoko said nothing. He didn't want to distress Hiei and make him think on painful memories any longer.

"I'm sorry," Hiei said, shaking his head. "It was a long time ago. I shouldn't let it affect me the way it does."

"I understand," Yoko said. "You never really get over losing someone you love."

Hiei startled. "How did you know?"

Yoko smiled sadly. "Let's just say I've been through a lot in my life."

"Fair enough."

"So you're okay with branding?"

"I am."

"Are you sure?" Yoko asked.

Hiei glared at him.

"I'm asking because if we agree to partner, Hiei, it's the first thing I will do. It will not be something you get a say in. In fact, you will have little say in any possessive markings I decide I want to put on you."

Hiei took a deep breath, then let it out in a rush of air. "I understand. And yes, I'm sure. The reason you are being so thorough with this is because kitsune partner for life, right?"

Yoko nodded, a small grin gracing his lips. "Indeed. If we partner, it's for life. I could live up to nearly a million years. Kitsune have an incredibly long lifespan."

"Koorime usually don't. But male koorime do. It is said a male can live as long as a kitsune. In fact, our long lifespan is the other reason we are killed at birth-I'm sure you know the first. Such a long life to a koorime is considered an abhorrence."

Relief washed through Yoko at those words. To partner with someone with a lifespan millenia shorter than his would be torture, but knowing that Hiei could potentially live as long as him was a huge mark in his favor. "Obedience, loyalty, sex, respect. I think that covers almost everything."

"Almost?" Hiei raised an eyebrow.

"There's one last thing."

Hiei looked at him expectantly.

Yoko took a deep, silent, breath and looked Hiei square in the eye. "I am a sadist. I will hurt you for my own pleasure."

Hiei snorted. "You expect that to be a problem?"

"It isn't?" Yoko felt winded by his own amazement. In the makai, while ruthlessness towards one's enemies was expected, to be a solo with sadistic tendencies was still mostly frowned upon.

Hiei pointed to the headband wrapped around his head. "How do you think I managed to survive the incubation process for this thing? It's pretty much a requirement that you be highly masochistic to even have a chance to live through it with your sanity intact."

"Highly masochistic?"

Hiei snorted. "You would pick up on that and not how cool it is to have this Jagan."

Yoko grinned unabashedly. "Yeah, well, can't blame me for being single-minded. I am a kitsune, after all."

Hiei grinned back at him, then took a deep breath of his own before sliding off his seat to kneel in front of Yoko. He placed his hands on the kitsune's thighs and looked Yoko straight in the eye. "I am yours, if you deem me worthy."

Yoko almost felt dizzy by how giddy the words made him. He reached down and placed his hands around Hiei's neck, pressing against his throat carefully but firmly. "I claim you. You are more than worthy."

They stayed like that, Hiei's hands clutching Yoko's thighs as Yoko's hands encircled Hiei's throat, for a few minutes, each digesting the severity of the decision they had just made.

When it finally sank in, Yoko moved his hands away from Hiei's throat and placed them on top of Hiei's hands. Looking straight at Hiei, with a small grin on his face, he said, "Now that we've established our partnership, I think it's time we make it visible. Hm?"

Hiei grinned. "Whatever you say."

Yoko grinned back, reaching a hand out to trace the flesh behind Hiei's right earlobe, relishing in the shiver that ran through the smaller demon's body. Suddenly feeling mischievous, he pinched that flesh hard, which made Hiei jump and lift his hand as if to swat him away. The smaller demon froze mid-motion, realizing what he was about to do, and lowered his eyes in apology. A thrill ran through Yoko at the sight. "Hands behind your back and keep them there," he said.

Hiei obeyed instantly.

Yoko sat up on the sofa, finding a position that would allow him to explore just how masochistic his partner really was. Which meant, of course, that it was time to brand him. "Mist!" he yelled.

Mist appeared almost like magic in front of him. "Yes, Master?"

"Bring me the branding iron."

"Which crest, Master?"

Yoko thought about it for a moment. There were three he could use. One was a general crest he used for business. One was his family crest. And then there was his personal crest, a three-tailed silver fox. "My personal crest."

"Very well, Master." The tremor demon disappeared and came back so quickly it would've been eerie if Yoko didn't know that speed was one of the species greatest assets.

He took the iron in his hand, noting with pleasure that Mist had heated the crest to the necessary temperature for branding. Perhaps his aide wasn't entirely useless. He dismissed the tremor demon with a wave of his hand and then turned to look at Hiei, whose eyes were wide with fearful anticipation.

Yoko smiled. "Keep your hands behind your back. I am not going to tie you down or hold you down. I expect you to keep yourself immobile for the duration of the branding, which will last thirty seconds."

"Thirty?" Hiei asked. "I thought it was only supposed to take five."

Yoko bared his teeth at the thought of such a short branding. "Maybe if I only wanted it surface deep. It will be thirty seconds and you will take all of it without moving. If you cannot, we will know that we are incompatible. Do you understand?"

Hiei closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, regulating his body. "I understand. I will take all thirty." He gripped his arms tightly in his hands behind his back, keeping his eyes on Yoko as the kitsune began lowering the brand towards him.

When the brand hit Hiei's neck, Yoko half-expected him to jump away yowling. But he didn't. The koorime gritted his teeth and glared defiance at Yoko's hand, as if daring the branding iron to try and best him. He noticed the tears spring up on Hiei's face when he got to a ten count, but he said nothing. At fifteen, the other demon was crying, but silently as if he were afraid making a noise would count against him. Yoko noted idly that the koorime didn't cry gems the way females of his kind did. At twenty, Hiei kept taking short, gasping breaths to get through the pain, like he needed to scream but was afraid to do so. "You can scream if you want," Yoko said. "Actually," he added, "I prefer to hear your pain than for you to suffer in silence. It's more fun for me."

Hiei glared at him then for all he was worth. But at twenty-five he broke and screamed. There was only so much pain one could endure before screaming became necessary. And it was about survival too. Screaming actually increased pain tolerance and not moving while a white hot iron was being pressed into sensitive flesh was almost unbearably painful.

At thirty, Yoko lifted the brand away from Hiei's neck and smiled down at the koorime. "Do you think you can take a second one?" He had no plans to actually mark the demon a second time, but he wanted to see how his partner would answer.

Hiei took a deep breath, then glanced fearfully at the iron before masking it with iron determination and meeting Yoko's gaze. "I will take as many of them as you require of me."

Yoko grinned, then let the branding iron clatter harmlessly to the ground a few feet away from them. "One brand is enough. Tomorrow I will teach you the rest of my requirements."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Hiei stared at the kitsune from the floor, hands properly folded behind him. "Tomorrow?" he asked. "It's barely past noon."

Yoko laughed. "There will be time then to tell you my expectations. I have other plans for today."

Hiei smirked at the seductive lilt in his solo's voice. The fox demon was exquisite. The broad set of his shoulders paired with his height implied Yoko would be able to pin him down easily. He derived the most pleasure from sex when he was forced. Arousal thrilled through him."What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we'd have a chase."

"A chase?"

"Mhm. I rather enjoy catching prey."

Hiei's breath hitched. That type of game was dangerous. Many demons would forget it was a game. If he agreed to this chase, he would be putting his life in Yoko's hands. But he'd just signed on as the kitsune's partner. Refusing to play game would imply a distrust he didn't possess. "Hn. You sure? I'm faster than most demons."

Good," Yoko said, lips curling into a smirk. "I wouldn't want it to be boring. As a precaution, the chase will be limited to my garden."

"Isn't using your garden cheating?" Hiei asked, frowning.

"You expect me to play fair?"

He scowled. It would be difficult to devise a plan to outmaneuver his solo if the kitsune used a garden that responded to his every command.

"It does give me an advantage," Yoko said. "It's meant to be challenging."

Hiei arched an eyebrow.

"For you," his solo said, grinning.

He snorted, amused at the way his solo had manipulated the situation. Instead of anger, the challenge the fox presented was exciting him. If he won, he would be able to claim he outsmarted Yoko Kurama. That was enough motivation for him.

Yoko chuckled. "I see I've caught your interest." The kitsune turned serious. "Do you remember the warning that Mist gave you before you entered the house?"

"You mean the one about you being unable to resist killing anyone who ends up in your choke-hold who struggles?" Yeah, Hiei definitely remembered that. Not struggling when someone wrapped their hands around your throat was a hard instinct to fight, but he would find a way to fight it if it became necessary.

A shadow fell over Yoko's eyes, making Hiei wonder what had happened in the past to cause the kitsune to feel such remorse. "Do not allow me to get my hands around your throat. You are too much of a warrior not to struggle, and I am too much myself not to give into the urge to kill those who defy me."

Hiei pursed his lips. "I will not let you near my throat."

"Good," Yoko said, his face clearing. "In that case, let me show you to the garden. I will give you twenty minutes before I start my pursuit."

A jolt of arousal shot through Hiei as he realized they were really going to go through with this. Playing this game with his solo, knowing it would lead to sex with Yoko, was exciting all by itself. Knowing that Yoko also had a sadistic streak just made it more so.

"Follow me," Yoko said, sliding off the couch and shifting into his kitsune form in such a fluid motion that Hiei barely noticed he was changing until the transformation was complete.

Hiei stood, his hands dropping to his sides as he stared at the three-tailed kitsune he was following through the mansion. He had known that Yoko wasa three-tailed kitsune, but to see it in person was...well, words just didn't do it justice. The sheer amount of _power_ in those tails was off the charts. For a kitsune, just to have two tails was phenomenal in and of itself, but three was so rare it was considered almost mythical. Even those who greatly respected Yoko Kurama voiced doubts as to whether or not the kitsune was truly a three-tail or just a two-tail with more than his share of power. Very few people had seen Yoko in his kitsune form and lived to tell the tale. Hiei understood the honor he was being granted even before the game began and he couldn't't help but feel awed that such a legendary demon had agreed to take _him _on as a partner.

Shaking his head, Hiei cleared his mind of such thoughts. Right before a predator-prey game, especially one where he was playing prey, those types of thoughts were unwarranted. He needed to focus on how he was going to evade the kitsune, rather than how amazing it was that his solo had three tails. He could fawn over that later.

Yoko pushed a padded paw against a mahogany door, tilting his head to look up at the koorime. "This is it," he said, his voice in kitsune form coming out like swords clashing. Hiei shivered at the sound of it. That much violence in a voice was pure sex to him and he had to close his eyes to get himself back under control. If he didn't know better, he could've sworn Yoko smirked at him.

Hiei took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

"Remember," Yoko said, "Twenty minutes." The kitsune turned and loped down the hallway, moving away from the garden room with such speed and grace that Hiei felt his jaw drop.

He forced it closed, rolling his eyes and feeling absurdly grateful that Yoko hadn't't seen that expression on his face. He had a feeling he never would've lived it down. "Well," he said, looking at the vast expanse of foliage laid out before him. "Here goes nothing."

* * *

><p>Yoko hummed to himself as he stepped inside the garden twenty minutes later. The room was fairly large, around two acres, so there was plenty of room for the game. Shifting into his kitsune form, he sniffed the air, trying to get a lock on Hiei's scent. To his surprised delight, he couldn't't pinpoint him. It seemed in the last twenty minutes the koorime had found a way to permeate the entire room with his pheromones. Yoko smiled to himself. Most demons just weren't't that smart when it came to fighting him.<p>

He padded carefully into the tall grass that grew with his more exotic plants. Really, to call this place a garden was to make it sound tamer than it was. There were no pathways anywhere-to someone unfamiliar with plants, it would just look like a wild mess. But to Yoko, it was home. He tilted his head, listening to the rustle of the blades as they rubbed against one another. _Which way did the strange one go?_ he asked. That was how the plants always referred to anyone but him, the only one who could truly communicate with them. A general feel of reluctance rose up from the grass around him, which gave him pause. The plants had never been reluctant to expose the path a prey had taken before.

Finally, a vine that hung low over the grass answered him. _They do not wish to answer, for he walks amongst us almost as gently as you, despite his inability to talk to us. _

The grass pitched in. _The feel of his feet is almost like your own-for a moment, we almost mistook him for you._

Yoko felt a surge of giddiness at those words. His partner respected his plants. What that respect had been born from, he had no idea, but it was a huge boon. _I have taken him on as my partner,_ he told the plants.

_Then we shall not help you catch him. _A general murmur of agreement went through the room. _If you cannot catch him without our help, then you are not worthy of him._

_ You judge me for playing unfairly? _Yoko asked, amused and slightly offended. _I am a kitsune. I was born to break rules._

_ Perhaps with others, but not with your partner. He deserves the same honesty from you that you require of him._

Yoko was forced to bow his head to that. _Then you shall help neither of us,_ he said.

_Of course. We have no reason to aide one who cannot speak to us. He interests us only because he is respectful. So few are._

Yoko understood the sentiment behind that. He had watched the attitude of demons towards one another as well as towards the world around them slowly deteriorate. It was a sad sight, but he swore to himself that he would never allow himself to become disrespectful. Manners were important. Even towards his servants, he was rarely less than kind. His aide was a different matter. Thinking of Mist made him gnash his teeth. The tremor demon took liberties he shouldn't't, violating the principles of manners that Yoko worked so hard to uphold.

The kitsune shook his head. Now was not the time to think of such matters. His partner was waiting to be caught. The thought made him grin. He sniffed the air again, futilely attempting to lock on a scent. Habits were hard to break after eight hundred years.

He sat in the grass, licking a paw as he thought about what potential plans the koorime may have come up with in order to evade him. If he were Hiei, what would he do? Of course, he didn't really know the demon well enough to be able to have an immediate answer to that question, but it was at least a start.

_If I had been hunted for years, where would be the best place to hide to avoid hunters?_ The answer came almost immediately. _Tree tops. Hunters rarely look up. _Of course, in this garden, there were no trees, but there _were_ overlying canopies. And the best place to hide in a canopy would be the very middle, where the foliage was the most dense.

Yoko sprang up into the canopy above him, clearing a good twenty feet, using his tails as hooks to keep himself from falling. He maneuvered along the underside of the canopy, sending out small pulses of his ki to search for the smaller demon that way. It was a nearly undetectable amount of ki and there were few demons he'd found who were able to sense it. Hiei was no exception to this, which was almost a disappointment but that was something that Yoko himself had learned with time. One wasn't't born with such a skill-it had to be developed.

One of the ki bursts brought back a general location for where the koorime was at, though it felt slightly fuzzy. So the small demon was at least attempting to mask his presence. That sent a jolt of relief through Yoko, which made him feel slightly ridiculous after feeling it. Obviously the koorime would have learned to mask his presence after being hunted down for so long.

But he had been right-Hiei _was_ on the canopies. Knowing that now for certain, he pulled himself up on top, carefully using the foliage of the canopy to keep his presence hidden. Before he was truly aware of it, he was right behind Hiei, whose ears were pricked up, listening intently for any foreign sound.

Yoko had to silence a snort-seeing Hiei look so serious and so alert was almost cute. The thought startled him. It had been centuries since he'd thought of _anyone_ as cute. Pursing his lips, he looked at Hiei through thoughtful eyes. Even without trying, the koorime was stirring up emotions in him. He grinned. At least he wasn't't bored.

Speaking of boredom, if he sat still any longer he was going to go crazy. There was only one choice left to him. He pounced, expecting Hiei to go down under his massive weight, but he was forced to maneuver aside at the last second, twisting his body at an awkward angle to avoid the sword that Hiei had drawn from the sheath at his waist.

Yoko glared intently at the sword Hiei held expertly in his hands, carefully circling his partner who was now fully aware of his presence and on guard against attack. Hiei hadn't't lied when he said he was faster than most demons. Yoko _knew_ that Hiei hadn't't sensed his attack coming-his partner had just acted instinctively, allowing his subconscious to control his fighting. Most demons had such instincts taught out of them when they were trained in a fighting art. Then again, Yoko doubted Hiei had ever been anything but self-taught-such was the fate of an imiko.

Hiei was tense as Yoko circled him, his eyes following the roving kitsune, his feet rooted to the spot. The perch he had on the canopy was slippery at best, but he didn't want his solo to know how close he was to losing his balance. He was good at trees-this vine thing was a lot more difficult.

Yoko smirked a little as he realized that his partner was starting to lose his balance. Canopy walking had taken him nearly a hundred years to master-the netted vines were perilous. Seeing his chance, he snaked in between Hiei's legs, using his tails to boost his speed to prevent from being caught from the swing of the koorime's sword.

Hiei swung and swore in disgust as he completely lost his footing. He fell through the canopy, his right foot snagging on one of the vines at the last second, his sword clattering to the ground far below him as he lost his grip. Without pausing, he grabbed his ankle and pulled it free, flipping through the air and down to land on his feet beside his sword, grabbing it up as quickly as he'd lost it.

Yoko watched it all happen, his eyes wide. Hiei's speed truly _was_ impressive. His partner hadn't't even taken a second to adjust to the situation-he'd just reacted. Yoko smiled. It was starting to look like Hiei really could challenge him.

Hiei glared up at him from the ground. "Well?" he said. "You just going to stare at me all day?"

Yoko growled and slid through the canopy netting, shifting into his humanoid form mid-jump. He landed about five feet away from Hiei, easily within reach of his partner's sword, and jumped back a couple feet, taking himself out of the koorime's swing radius.

Hiei smirked at him. "Forgot about my sword, didn't you?" The taunt was full of smug bravado, as if the koorime was sure he'd won the game. There was an underlying sadness, too.

Yoko snarled. Hiei was _his._ Not the other way around. There was no one who could prevent him from claiming his prize. Pulling on the full weight of his experience, he lunged forward as fast as he could-which was still slower than Hiei-and managed to grab the koorime's sword-hand mid-swing. He tightened his grip on the other's wrist until Hiei cried out in pain, but didn't release the sword. "Let it go," Yoko said calmly, "or I'll break your wrist and _make_ you."

Hiei glared at him, but the increasing pressure on his wrist made him realize that his solo wasn't joking. Once he understood that, his eyes watering with the pain of trying to maintain the grip on his sword, he let the weapon clatter to the ground.

Yoko eyed Hiei's neck hungrily and he reached out to wrap his free hand around his throat, a part of his mind crying out that it was a bad idea-a part he, of course, ignored. As he went to grab Hiei's throat, the koorime blurred so quickly that all he was left holding was air in his free hand. The other was still wrapped painfully around his partner's sword-hand.

Hiei scowled at him. "You're not fast enough to choke me."

Yoko snarled, but even he had to admit the truth of that. He was no much for the small demon in terms of speed. But in strength. A new idea struck him and he lashed his tail around the koorime's feet, forcing Hiei to the ground. He fell with him, keeping his iron grip on his partner's wrist. No amount of speed would allow the small demon to get away from him now. Smirking in satisfaction, he reached down towards Hiei's throat again, wondering if his partner would remember the warning he'd given about struggling.

Before he could get his hand on Hiei's throat, he was intercepted. Hiei grabbed the wrist of his free hand, forcing it to the side. With a scowl, Yoko yanked it out of his partner's hold. Which was a feat all in itself, because the koorime's grip wasn't weak by any stretch of the imagination.

Yoko looked at the demon laying underneath him, the desire to strangle him slowly turning into simple desire. Without a word, he used his tail for leverage and flipped the small demon over, pulling his partner's pants down roughly around his ankles. He grabbed Hiei's wrists and pulled them down by his side, pinning them effectively to the koorime's sides by using his knees as weights. Hiei cried out at the pain, causing a thrill of arousal to run through the kitsune.

His hands free, Yoko pulled off his hakama and reached out to the plants beside him, seeking lubrication. One spit something into his hand and he slicked himself up before pushing roughly into his partner, but being careful not to tear anything. He pounded into Hiei roughly, holding his partner's head to the ground as he rode him, the pained whimpers coming from Hiei just driving him that much closer to that edge.

"Yoko," Hiei said, his voice strained. "I'm close."

Yoko grinned. This was the part he liked best. "You're not allowed to orgasm unless I tell you to."

Hiei struggled futilely in his solo's grip. He wanted to come! "Please, Yoko," he begged.

The sound of his partner begging drove Yoko over the edge. "No," he said calmly, using a leaf from another nearby plant to clean up as he slid out of his partner. "You don't get to come for at least two weeks."

Hiei thumped his head against the ground, groaning in frustration. "Why not?" he asked, his voice almost a whine.

Yoko stared at Hiei impassively, trying to decide whether to tell him. "It's the amount of time it takes for me to properly mark you as my partner," he said finally. "It will take two weeks for our pheromones to properly mix and if you come before then, it tells the link I'm establishing between us that I don't have proper control of you."

Hiei closed his eyes, sighing. "That link is the one that will be your mate-bond isn't it?"

Yoko nodded silently.

The next time Hiei opened his eyes, they were shining with determination. "Then we will show the link that you own me."

Yoko grinned. He had a feeling that it was the start of a beautiful partnership.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Yoko's knees dug into his wrists. The pain began to fade and he grimaced. "Solo," he said, enjoying the way the word rolled off his tongue. For the first time in his life, using it seemed appropriate.

"Hm?" Yoko asked, a purr in his voice.

Pleasure thrilled through him at the sound. Ignoring his own need for release became easier with the knowledge he had satiated his solo. "My wrists are numb," he said, lowering his eyes in submission.

Yoko lifted his knees off Hiei's wrists, causing the koorime to cry out in pain as circulation returned, and settled into a crouch above his partner. "Turn over," he said.

Careful not to unbalance Yoko, Hiei obeyed. He cried out in pleasure as Yoko brought their cocks together, trembling at the look on his solo's face.

"How long can I tease you before you can't control yourself?" Yoko asked. He slid their cocks together languidly before making eye contact with Hiei. "How long before you need a ring?"

Hiei closed his eyes, attempting to get a grip on his body's reactions so he wouldn't orgasm without permission. "I don't know, Solo," he said.

"We will find out on a day disobedience won't affect the bond link."

"Yes, Solo," Hiei said, whimpering at the pleasure that thrilled through him at the words. He took a deep breath, focused on not orgasming.

"You're the first demon I've met in a long time who can outrun me," Yoko said, changing the subject. He stopped moving, sensing that Hiei couldn't take much more.

Hiei drew in a ragged breath. "I didn't run fast enough."

Yoko frowned. "You didn't really want to get away from me. Still, your speed is quite impressive."

Indignant, Hiei snapped, "I _was_ trying to get away." The implication he cheated bothered him.

Yoko narrowed his eyes.

Since his solo had stated no rules, Hiei said, "I never put less than my full effort into anything I do."

"But you wanted to be caught," Yoko said.

"Yes, but I've desired that for a long time. And no one else ever came close _because I gave it my full effort,_ just as I did with you." Unable to prevent the bitterness from bleeding into his words, he said, "I'd started to think no one could catch me."

"Hn. So you're saying there's no way you could have run faster?"

Hiei glared for all he was worth. He _hated_ losing. No matter what it cost him, he played at the top of his game.

"Not even, perhaps, overconfidence? Not even that?"

Hiei favored Yoko with a sour look and folded his hands behind his head, refusing to answer.

"You may disagree with me and argue with me over certain things, but you will _always_ answer me." The temperature in the room plummeted.

Hiei's spine seized with fear. "Y-yes, Solo," he said, choking out the words, his eyes wide. "I ran at my top speed," he said. He averted his eyes.

"Your speed is impressive," Yoko said.

Hiei shivered as warmth came back into the room, half from fear and half from raw desire. No one had inspired fear in him before. "Thank you," he said, taking the compliment.

"You can have the answer now, if you still want it," Yoko said.

He started to understand why Yoko was considered a bit unbalanced. The fox demon shifted conversational gears too fast for anyone to follow. It took him a moment, but he figured out which question his solo meant. "You mean your age?"

"Mhm."

"I still do," Hiei said.

Yoko smiled. "Okay. I'll tell you. But this is the first secret I'm sharing with you and my secrets are not meant to be shared." His gaze locked on Hiei, golden eyes burning with solemn intensity.

"I understand, Solo."

"I am eight hundred and forty three," Yoko said. If Hiei proved unable to keep this small secret, he'd become acquainted with the meaning of dire consequences.

"Eight hundred and forty three?" Hiei said, eyes bulging at the number.

Yoko smiled. "Indeed. Now get up. It's time I showed you to our room."

* * *

><p>The next morning found Hiei kneeling in front of his Solo, amazed that he'd been allowed to sleep curled up next to the kitsune on the first night they'd spent together. His hands were folded on his legs, his back straight. As soon as Yoko had woken up, he'd shaken Hiei awake and made him kneel, giving no explanation. An hour had passed since then.<p>

Hiei was struggling to stay still and silent. The desire to know what purpose the kneeling served burned in him and being in the same position for over an hour was starting to make his legs ache. The worst was the not-knowing. All he could think was that it was a test of some sort, that his Solo was looking for something.

Yoko had only been standing in front of him for the last five minutes. After he'd told Hiei to kneel, he'd left. Now Yoko was starting at him.

Sweat broke out on Hiei's forehead. What was his Solo studying so intently? Had he moved? He didn't think he had; he was pretty good at being stationary-his life had depended on it on more than one occasion. But it was possible he'd moved a centimeter or two.

"Relax," Yoko said. "This isn't a test."

Hiei let out a deep breath and let his hands relax where they'd been clenched on his knees.

Yoko quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement, then continued. "This is the first expectation I have of you. Rather, let's call them rules. Every morning you will kneel here for an hour to allow yourself to get into the proper mindset. I told you before that I am an exacting Solo. This is the only time I will give you to prepare for that."

Hiei swallowed hard. Yoko had branded him. This demon had ensured his loyalty for life. And he hadn't expected it to be easy. Still,to kneel for an hour every day before doing anything else was a new level for him. None of his previous temp Solos had been exacting, even when claiming it. Hiei was beginning to get the feeling that wasn't the case with Yoko.

"After this hour, we will eat breakfast together downstairs." He gave Hiei a stern look. "You are not allowed to walk without express permission, nor are you allowed to use any furniture besides the bed we share at night. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Solo," Hiei answered. His arms and legs trembled. Yoko was going to treat him like a real partner. He was going to be demanding and harsh. Some of Hiei's temps had been afraid of being harsh because they were afraid that harming an abomination like him would bring a curse upon them. Yoko had said he didn't hold with superstition. Others had said the same, but his Solo was the first one to be genuinely disinterested in the superstition surrounding his very existence.

"After we eat," Yoko said, "I will take you to the training grounds. Ninety percent of your time will be spent there."

"Training grounds?" Hiei asked and had to force himself not to jump as Yoko's open palm came down hard against his cheek. It stung and he clenched his fists in an effort to keep himself from reaching up to rub at the imprint.

"Do not forget the honorific when you address me," Yoko said, tone chill. "We have both proven ourselves to the other. Such disrespect will not be tolerated."

Hiei flushed. He hadn't meant to be disrespectful and the knowledge he'd earned his Solo's displeasure so soon was heartrending. Without being prompted, he prostrated himself in front of the kitsune. "I'm sorry, Solo," he said.

Yoko nudged Hiei's hand with his toe. "Kneel up."

Hiei obeyed immediately. He didn't want to disappoint the kitsune further.

"The training grounds," Yoko said, "are fighting grounds. You are a master swordsman so at least half your time there will be spent honing those skills." He squatted, looking Hiei straight in the eyes. "I'm a dangerous man. I have dangerous enemies. The same can be said of you. I'll not have my partner's fighting skills be anything less than incredible."

Hiei shivered. Knowing the was going to be able to practice his swordsmanship was a huge relief. "And the other half of the time, Solo?" he asked.

"Other fighting techniques. Extensive hand-to-hand, whips, poisons, knives, and anything else my trainers decide to teach you. You will listen to all of them and in regards to what they tell you to do in relation to training those skills, you are to assume they speak with my voice. Let me emphasize that only applies in relation to training weapons and fighting skills. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Solo."

"You will lunch while on the grounds-this will be your job. After you are released from training, you will join me for dinner. And after dinner." He gave Hiei a look of pure lust. "I will play to my content before we retire for the night."

Hiei flushed at the promise in those words, then changed the subject. "Would you mind summing up the rules you've mentioned, Solo, so I won't forget them?"

Yoko smirked. "Four rules? No. You tell me what they were."

Hiei's eyes widened and he frantically searched through his memory for everything that Yoko had said. "Kneel for an hour every morning. No walking or using furniture without permission. And don't forget the honorific. May I ask a question, Solo?"

"Mhm."

"Do I have permission to stand while on the training grounds, Solo?"

"Yes. And I'm glad your memory is sharp. I'd have hated to discipline you for that. Now there's one more rule from last night. Tell me."

Hiei's face heated. "I'm not allowed to come for two weeks, Solo," he said.

"Very good." Yoko walked away, pausing at the doorway. "You have five minutes to make it downstairs." And then he was gone.

Hiei stared after him for a long moment, in shock, before he realized he was wasting time. There was no way to make it to the downstairs dining room in five minutes without using his speed. Doing so was going to seriously abrade his hands and knees since he was allowed only to crawl. He whimpered low in his throat, both dreading and anticipating the coming pain.

He took a deep breath and blurred into motion, unable to ignore the sharp pain in his hands and knees as he moved. A large part of him wanted to stop and rest but he dreaded finding out what kind of punishment Yoko would administer for failure.

He made it to the ground level, his face stained with tears. His hands and knees were both bleeding from the pressure of the speed he was forced to use. He nearly made the mistake of stopping to catch his breath, but ruthlessly shoved the desire aside. If he stopped, he'd never get started again.

Doing his best to ignore the pain that burned through him, he crawled at top speed to the dining room he'd been shown the day before, no longer bothering to silence the whimpers of pain that rose up through him. He was impressed by how his Solo had forced him to cause his own pain, even while trying to deal with that pain. It was mental agony because he could stop crawling so quickly at any time-he didn't _have_ to use such speed. But the idea of disappointing Yoko by failing to meet a time limit was devastating to him, so he was bound to causing himself pain to keep from causing himself shame.

Hiei made it into the dining room with twenty seconds left. Even his speed was barely adequate for the distance Yoko had forced him to cover. His knees and palms were cracked and bleeding and he cried openly at the pain. He didn't complain. He spotted Yoko a few feet away and crawled to him, settling into a kneel once there.

Yoko smiled down at him and Hiei felt his heart skip. The kitsune's approval, even after one day, was something he craved. "That," Yoko said smugly, "was a test."

Hiei's eyes widened. He hadn't even considered that as a potential test. After the hour of kneeling, it hadn't even crossed his mind. "A test, Solo?" he asked, his voice coming out strong in lieu of the tear tracks on his cheeks.

"Mhm. I needed to see just how seriously you were going to take me. You doubted me when I first told you I was an exacting Solo. I see you don't anymore."

Hiei shivered at the look in Yoko's eyes. The kitsune saw right through him. He ducked his head, properly submissive, and said, "Trust isn't easy for me, Solo. There have been many who have said the words and failed to back up their words through their actions."

"Yes," Yoko said. "There are a lot of demons like that. You'll learn, with time, that I never speak falsely to those I care for."

Hiei swallowed back the emotion that rose in him at those words. No one had ever promised to be honest with him before. It brought fresh tears to his eyes. And it terrified him. Because Yoko was giving him everything he'd ever dreamed of. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that there was a catch, a reason that it would fall apart like every other time he'd thought he'd finally found the right man. And he cursed his own weakness, because without even trying, he'd already begun to fall in love with the demon in front of him.

Yoko let Hiei's emotions settle before he spoke again. "I'm not going to require you to be here in five minutes every day. While the amusement factor is high, I'm not interested in permanently damaging you. Ten minutes should be sufficient."

Hiei winced, but nodded acceptance. Half the pace he'd used today wouldn't tear his knees and palms up, but it would still be a rather unpleasant pace.

Yoko motioned to the table. "Once you are here, as long as you have met the time limit I have set, you are allowed to stand and sit at the table so that we may enjoy breakfast together."

Hiei glanced unsurely up at the kitsune. "How will I know if I've met the time limit, Solo?"

Yoko smirked. "You won't. You can keep track of it in your head, as best you can, but I will neither confirm nor deny your success at any point."

Hiei swallowed. "What happens if I think I've succeed but didn't and assume that permission for those things are granted, Solo?"

Yoko gave him a long, hard look. "Then you are disobeying the rules."

Hiei froze at that tone. To make a mistake, even by a fraction of a second, wouldn't be forgiven. He'd known that, but it was really brought home to him now. "What punishment would I incur from doing so, Solo?" he asked, surprised when the words didn't come out as a whisper.

Yoko frowned. "You'll find out when you break one."

Hiei shivered. Not knowing would wreck havoc on his nerves. But then-his Solo knew that.

"That being said," Yoko continued, "I will tell you today that you met the time limit. Because the task was a very difficult one," he said, gaze flicking down to Hiei's bleeding knees, "you deserve to know that you succeeded."

Hiei flushed. "Thank you, Solo," he said, grateful that Yoko had acknowledged that.

"Well then," Yoko said, gesturing to the table. "Let's eat."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

After they ate, Yoko led Hiei out to the training grounds. His partner hadn't had to be told that after breakfast he was to resume crawling. It was a refreshing change. To be honest, Yoko was finding Hiei to be the kind of partner he'd wished for. Before the meeting with the lesser demons Mist had arranged, Yoko had trailed a few S and A class demons. There was always something they lacked. He was scared Hiei would show that same lack, but the day was progressing well.

He'd used the same techniques with every potential partner, because it was his style to be honest and up front with those he could find himself spending a lifetime beside. But somehow he always proved to be much for them to handle. His style of Soloing was too intense.

The first hardship, the hour of kneeling, was one most demons got through. A few didn't, and those had been sent home immediately. The second ordeal, the first real test, was much more trying. A five minute time limit to get from the bedroom to the dining room was right next to impossible. At a brisk pace, it took Yoko himself fifteen minutes.

Hiei was one of two demons who'd managed the time limit successfully. Out of the two, he was the only one who hadn't started screaming obscenities at Yoko over it. Needless to say, that one had been let go.

Because the time limit was so high, the three that managed in seven minutes he'd allowed to stay. But they'd failed at one of the other tests he'd set before them.

And now it was time for the 2nd real test. He had to find a way to see how Hiei would react to being punished without tricking him into disobeying. While he was a kitsune, such behavior towards his partner was unacceptable. The test was to see how Hiei reacted. If he argued with him or was unable to accept the punishment put forth, things would grind to a halt. Yoko didn't want that. He really liked the fiery koorime.

"Once we cross this threshold," Yoko said, "you have permission to stand. "These are the training grounds."

Hiei got to his feet, looking around with wide eyes.

Yoko smirked knowingly. The grounds were impressive. Twelve lots, each about 2 acres in size, were visible from the threshold. The entire area was just a room in his mansion, but it was easily the biggest one there. It was also the most defensible, since all of his staff trained to fight here. There was always someone in every one of the lots at all hours of the day, honing their skills to perfection. Yoko didn't allow his staff the luxury of slacking off. His enemies were dangerous and he had stolen a lot of very valuable items. It was important those he employed were able to defend themselves, him, and his property.

"I'm to come here every day, Solo?" Hiei asked.

"Yes. I don't ever break from my weapons training. Neither will you."

Hiei watched everything that was going on with wonder in his eyes. "Who are all these people, Solo?" he asked.

"My staff. I have two trainers for every fighting style and I require everyone who works for me to master at least three styles of combat. I've seen too many demons get too confident in their own abilities to allow myself to become that lax myself."

"Three, Solo?" Hiei asked.

"Yes. But you're not staff. You'll have to master all of them."

Hiei came to a complete stop and stared slack-jawed at him. "How many styles are there, Solo?" he asked, somehow managing not to squeak.

"Hmm. Hand-to-hand, staff, sword, daggers, knives, whip, mace, poisons, magic, bow, crossbow, and at least four more."

"Fifteen?" Hiei whispered, moving to catch up to the kitsune. "How long will I have to master each skill, Solo?"

Yoko smiled. "You'll have plenty of time to master them. I'm not going to penalize you for fast or slow learning unless you slack off. I've had 800 years to master these skills and the fighting style of each weapon changes considerably from year to year. There is one area, however, that you will have to master in two weeks."

Hiei swallowed hard, coming to a rest behind Yoko who'd stopped in front of the lot where demons with swords and whips sparred against each other. "What is that, Solo?"

"My favored weapon is the whip. There is no one in the makai who can best me with one. Your challenge is to become that proficient with your sword. On top of that, you must learn how to coordinate your fighting with whip users. For the next two weeks, all your time on the training grounds will be spent here."

Hiei nodded. Learning to fight alongside his solo was a prospect that made his whole body tingle with excitement.

"Two weeks," Yoko said sternly. "Anymore than that and these." He brought a hand down, intending to smack it against one of Hiei's sore kneecaps, but his hand met air. Hiei had dodged. A cold fury coursed through him. His partner had denied him his rights. He turned to the koorime and glared, gleaning a modicum of satisfaction when Hiei lowered his head in submission. "I wasn't aware," he said. "That I needed to make it a rule for you not to dodge me."

Hiei flinched and said softly, "You don't, Solo. I shouldn't have moved."

The fact Hiei was accepting he'd messed up helped soothe Yoko. The kitsune had wanted a reason to punish the koorime; he just hadn't expected one so soon. "Take your shirt off and brace yourself against the wall."

To his credit, Hiei didn't even glance at the other demons on the grounds as he obeyed. That wasn't true of the others. All of them were staring at Hiei with open curiosity. Of course they were. All of them were loyal to Yoko and they each had a vested interest in ascertaining that Hiei was a good match for their employer.

Yoko drew a slender whip off the weapon rack and stood behind Hiei. "I'm going to whip you. For this infraction, ten strokes. You will count them aloud. When you count, you don't have to use the honorific. But if you move your hands off the wall, I'll add three to the count every time it happens. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Solo."

"And as I'm sure you're wondering, this is the lightest punishment I'll ever use on you."

Hiei whimpered but didn't object so Yoko took a deep breath and laid the first stroke across the koorime's back.

"One," Hiei said.

Yoko dropped another stroke. He was relieved that Hiei hadn't argued with him about the whipping. That was the test that all but one other potential partner had failed. It seemed this wasn't an area that Hiei was going to demonstrate a lack in.

"Two," Hiei said.

He dropped another stroke.

"Three."

Hiei didn't falter in calling the strokes and Yoko didn't let up between each one. He made the whipping hard and fast-it was punishment and Hiei had admitted to being masochistic. But there were certain ways of administering physical punishment so that even masochists didn't derive pleasure out of them. After 800 years, Yoko had picked up a few tricks. At ten strokes, he casually flicked the whip away from him, watching as it wrapped itself around the rack he'd thrown it at.

Yoko pressed himself up against Hiei's back, relishing the pain-filled cries it caused the koorime. Without giving Hiei any time to prepare, Yoko thrust his hand down the front of his partner's pants. Hiei hardened to his touch and moaned as Yoko began stroking him.

Hiei panted. "Please, Solo," he begged. "It's too much."

Yoko kept the pace up. "Two weeks," he whispered.

Hiei whimpered. "I don't know if I can control myself much longer, Solo," he admitted.

Yoko smirked. "You better." At those words, he felt Hiei's entire body relax against him as he continued stroking his partner. The koorime was finally submitting. Since that had been what he was looking for, he withdrew his hand, arousal sparked higher by the whimper of loss Hiei let out. "You may have to deal with this," he said, "but I don't have to suffer. If you want to make it easer on yourself, I suggest you find a way to get me lubricated before I take you."

Hiei turned and sank to his knees, looking up under lowered eyes for permission that Yoko readily gave. Hiei pulled him free of his pants and immediately took him down to the hilt. Yoko threw back his head at the sheer pleasure of it and let Hiei work him until he recovered enough to take control. He reached down and stilled Hiei's movements, holding his head still as he thrust hard and fast into the koorime's mouth, ignoring the tears that sprang up on Hiei's face as he hit the back of his throat. He's planned to fuck Hiei, but the little demon was so exceptionally skilled at this that he changed his mind. It didn't take long before he was coming and he purred in approval as Hiei swallowed without being told. He looked down at the koorime as he tucked himself back in. "I'm impressed. Few demons have been able to handle deep-throating me."

Hiei flushed under the praise. "Thank you, Solo," he said, licking his lips without seeming aware that he was doing so.

Yoko found it cute and he smiled at his partner. "Stand up," he said. "It's time I introduced you to your first teacher."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Hiei followed Yoko to the plot where demons with swords and whips sparred against each other and held his awe in check as Yoko let out a short, sharp whistle that rose above the clang of weapons. All activity halted and his Solo motioned a small kitsune over to them.

"This," Yoko said, "is my cousin Marn. He is the only demon in the makai I trust with a whip. His mastery of the weapon is second only to mine."

Hiei took in the small kitsune and kept his comments to himself. Marn was an inch taller than him, a couple inches thicker, and exuded a nervous energy that contradicted what Yoko was saying. He gave a mental shrug. His Solo had no reason to lie to him. And he himself had benefited on multiple occasions from being underestimated. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if the little kitsune was really that good.

Marn flashed a nervous grin at Yoko. "This the one?" he asked, voice laden with contempt. It was a weird contrast. "He is too small for you." Marn eyed Hiei, squelching his nose in distaste. "The whip you wield will cleave him in half."

Yoko rolled his eyes. "His size is perfect and you know that. Say what you mean."

Marn faced Hiei fully. "You are an error," he said, disgust lacing his words. "I don't wish to teach you these skills."

Hiei swallowed hard against the sudden anger and resentment that rose up in him at those words. He'd spent decades running away from demons like Marn, the demons who couldn't see past their contempt for his existence. He hadn't been prepared to face it here. He'd gotten careless. Chancing a sidelong glance at Yoko told him nothing; there was no clue as to how he was supposed to play this. For all he knew, responding the way he wanted to would warrant punishment. He settled for glaring, smirking when Marn dropped his eyes first.

Yoko chuckled. "You're going to be great friends, I can tell. Marn, don't kill him. And you will teach him."

"Chh. Only because you ask it of me. Not because he is worth teaching."

"Let him prove that for himself," Yoko said. "He may surprise you."

Hiei flushed, the subtle praise making the situation more bearable. He sighed. Two weeks was too long to spend in Marn's company. But he'd do it-if only to prove to himself and to Yoko that he could.

Marn waited until Yoko left the grounds before he spoke again. "I will be upfront with you. Yoko has had many demons try to partner with him and they have all failed. No one has lasted over a day."

Hiei blinked at the suddenly chummy tone Marn was using. "Didn't you just say I was an error?" he asked, unable to stop the words from leaving his lips.

"Oh that?" Marn asked, waving a hand dismissively. "Another of Yoko's silly tests. He was testing the control you have on your temper. It is a safe bet that you passed. He doesn't like those who let their emotions rule them."

Hiei swallowed back a sigh of relief. "Then you don't have a problem with what I am?" he asked, needing to make sure.

Marn quirked an eyebrow at him. "Of course not. No one but Mist cares about that. Yoko collects weird and interesting things. It is only natural he'd find the only male koorime in the makai intriguing."

"No one?" Hiei asked, trying to ignore the rush of pleasure that knowing Yoko found him intriguing caused.

"No," Marn said. "Yoko will not usually take on a close-minded employee. Mist is the one exception because he was a project."

"A project?" Hiei was beginning to feel dazed. Marn was more talkative than he was accustomed to from other demons. He thought back to the image of Mist sitting in his yard, crying. "He succeeded," he mumbled.

"Yes," Marn said. "He usually does. There is a reason for his infamy, you know."

Hiei grinned. Perhaps spending two weeks with this small fox wouldn't be that bad, after all. "You said no one has made it past a day?"

"That's right," Marn said. "I'm expecting the same from you, honestly. This is where the others made it before they failed."

"What did they fail at?" Hiei asked.

Marn's expression twisted into a grimace of distaste. "All of them were eager to learn to fight beside Yoko, as I'm sure you are. But none of them managed more than half a day of training with me?"

"Why?" Hiei asked, curious but wary of the answer.

Marn looked down, refusing to meet Hiei's eyes for a long moment. Then he looked up, his eyes piercing so deeply into the koorime's soul he was rooted to the spot. "Because," Marn said, "they were afraid of the whip."

Hiei frowned. "Why?" he asked. Whips _hurt_, but so did every other type of weapon. That didn't mean they were to be feared. Respected, yes, but not feared. To fear a weapon was to lose to it.

Marn shrugged. "Probably because they all had endured ten punishment lashes from Yoko at some point in the day."

Hiei swallowed. Yoko's whipping had _hurt._ He'd been whipped before-for a longer period of time and a much higher number of strokes than Yoko had delivered-but he'd never felt anything like the kiss of his Solo's whip. It had taken every ounce of willpower he had in him not to move during that whipping. The pain from that paled only in comparison to what he'd undergone for the Jaganshi title. That didn't mean he hadn't appreciated the punishment for what it was. He'd been in the wrong and his Solo had corrected him. That was what was _supposed_ to happen. "Surely they knew that punishment comes with everything else," he said.

"Sure," Marn said, shrugging himself. "But few Solos use whipping for minor infractions."

Hiei nodded. That was true. Very few demons would be able to take the whipping Yoko had handed out for a major infraction, let alone a minor one. But he wasn't those demons. It was his Solo's prerogative how he was punished, not his. Besides that... "I'm the Jaganshi," he said, knowing it would be enough of an explanation.

Marn's eyes widened. "No wonder Yoko finds you intriguing. The pain tolerance you need for that is..."

"I'm the only one who's ever successfully managed the complete transformation," Hiei said, unable to prevent the pride from seeping into his voice. It was the one thing he'd done with his life that he didn't regret-and the one thing he'd do over again despite the sheer amount of pure pain it involved.

Marn nodded his understanding. "Perhaps, then, you won't fear the whip. Let's get started," he said. "The first lesson is for you to get acquainted with the way a whip sounds snapping beside you and swinging around you. If you're as fast as I've heard, it's going to take some time to train you not to react to the sound and walk into the path of the whip."

"In other words," Hiei said sardonically, "I'm going to take a beating."

Marn grinned. "Crudely put, yes."

Hiei shrugged off the shirt he'd replaced after his punishment from Yoko. "No sense in shredding it," he said to Marn's questioning look. "What do you want me to do?"

"For the first little bit, I want you to stand in the open air and try not to move. We need to train you to trust the sound of a whip and know through sound tracking if it is going to hit or miss."

"So," Hiei said as he got into position, arms hanging by his side. "How did the others fail at this?"

Marn snorted. "Persistent, aren't you?"

Hiei grimaced. "I just don't want to make t heir mistakes."

"Well," Marn said. "Like I said, they were afraid of the whips." He turned and motioned three whip fighters over. "These three are advanced fighters. None of them will hit you. As long as you don't jump at the sound, you'll not take a stroke."

"Where will they be aiming?" Hiei asked, curious.

Marn reached out a hand and placed it half an inch away from Hiei's elbow. "They will swing straight beside you on either side where even the smallest flinch means you will take a stroke."

"No pressure, then," Hiei said.

Marn laughed. "To answer your question, the others took thirty to fifty in a row because they were afraid of the whips. None of them could continue after that."

Hiei met Marn's gaze evenly. "I have endured a 500 stroke session from a band of hunters who caught me. They left me for dead."

Marn whistled. "Five hundred would kill most demons. The pain-

-was nothing in comparison to what I went through for my title," Hiei said. He had no intention of telling Marn that the hunters in question missed more often than they hit and so he'd only taken a total of about 200 strokes. Nor was he going to tell him that the force behind the blows was some of the weakest he'd ever felt. He just wanted the small demon to stop underestimating his ability to withstand pain. "How did the others forfeit?" he asked.

"Two of them left. One of the others just curled up in a ball until Yoko had him escorted out. Three others left the grounds, found Yoko and screamed at him for his cruel methods."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Screaming at a demon of Yoko's level is beyond disrespectful," he said, voice low. Even thinking about it made him feel sick.

Marn smiled tightly.

"I'm ready to start," Hiei said, pulling himself out of his thoughts. Getting irritated at demons he'd never met was a waste of time.

Hiei knew that whips were going to crack beside him with deadly accuracy, but he still found himself unprepared for the sound as the first stroke fell. He inevitably jumped and his arm and shoulder caught the lash. He winced and stilled. There was no telling how many strokes he'd take before he stopped jumping.

Twenty more fell and he jumped into the path of all of them. He found himself absurdly grateful that these were swings meant to miss and barely even stung in comparison to Yoko's whipping. He was starting to get a feel for the rhythm the fighters were using. He was also beginning to figure out which direction the whips were coming from by the sound. He took five more hits before he could zero in on the side and made sure that when he flinched, he moved away. Twenty more strokes fell-he avoided all of them-and then Marn called for a halt.

Marn stood in front of Hiei and stared him straight in the eye. "You're tracking sound."

Hiei nodded. No use in denying it.

Marn nodded, face unreadable, then motioned a fourth fighter to join them. "One on every side," he told Hiei. "All at once. I want you to trust the whips, not learn to dodge them."

Hiei swallowed, but nodded. He was starting to get used to the sound of one whip cracking. Four at a time would be murder on his nerves. But Marn was right. He was fast enough to dodge just one-to do this, avoiding the whips if he moved shouldn't be possible. Like this-four at a time-if he flinched forward, it would hurt like hell. That was almost enough incentive to stifle his impulse to dodge stuff flying towards his body.

"Be proud," Marn said. "No one else even managed one."

Hiei grimaced. "I'll be proud when I can do what was asked of me."

Marn quirked an eyebrow. "You really are a different breed of demon."

Hiei grunted. Whether that had been an insult or compliment, he had no idea. He was going to take it as a compliment. It seemed the wisest recourse.

The four whip fighters took their places and at a nod from Marn, began snapping the whips. One at a time had been loud enough, but four was ridiculous. Hiei jumped, the side whips catching the sides of his legs, the back whip catching his thighs and the forward whip catching his forearms. He whimpered a little at the pain. Four whips hitting at once was a bit intense. He settled back into his original stance without complaint.

Marn had pretty much told him he could stop the session at any point, but every time Hiei got hit, it made him angry that he couldn't master his own reflexes enough to stay still. Ten more strokes fell, all hitting, so he took forty hits. "Marn," he said, ignoring the pain that laced his voice as he spoke. "This isn't working. My reflexes are too strong and the pain doesn't bother me enough for it to be an incentive not to move."

Marn frowned. "You're right. If four whips aren't deterrent enough, all I can think of is binding you. But to do that, I have to get Yoko's permission."

Hiei nodded. "So we'll keep doing this," he said. He was determined to win this battle, one way or the other.

Marn arched an eyebrow. "Even though you think it's futile?"

Hiei shrugged. "It's the only option," he said.

Marn hmmed. "Not the only option, no." He turned to one of the fighters. "Find Yoko. Tell him I need his consent to restrain Hiei."

"How will this work?" Hiei asked, watching the fighter as he disappeared from the room.

"Assuming permission is granted," Marn said, "I'll set up a post meant for this type of training and bind you to it. You won't be able to move. I'll start with having them snap four whips at a time, but you'll start blindfolded."

Hiei nodded assent. "How long will that last?"

"With you blindfolded?" At Hiei's nod, Marn said, "Probably the first two days. Then two days with no blindfold, then two with no blindfold or binding. Ninety percent of synching your swordplay with a whip," he said, "is getting used to the presence of the whip."

"So mastering this is worth taking half the time I've been allotted to learn how to synchronize?"

Marn smiled. "Yes," he said. "Since you're a master swordsman, the only thing you're learning here is how to accept a whip in your immediate vicinity. Everything else-the combination moves only possible when a whip and sword-fighter moving in synchronization-that will be easy to learn."

"Two weeks," Hiei said again.

Marn shrugged. "If that's what Yoko expects of you, he sees potential in you he didn't in the others."

Hiei gave him a puzzled look.

"He told everyone else six months."

Hiei stifled his shock as well as the pleasure that raced through him. If Yoko thought he could master this in two weeks, he'd do it.

Just as he firmed his resolve, the whip fighter Marn had sent to find Yoko returned. "He gave his consent," the fighter said.

Marn smiled and beckoned Hiei over. "This," he said, "is going to be fun. By the end of the day, the sound should be so familiar that you won't even notice one cracking."

"Isn't that bad?" Hiei asked. "I mean, what if someone comes after me with a whip?"

Marn raised an eyebrow. "With Yoko Kurama as your Solo the only demon who will ever raise a whip against you after your training will be Yoko himself."

Hiei swallowed hard at the promised threat in those words. Learning this was a double-edged sword. He was beginning to understand that nothing about Yoko Kurama was surface deep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Yoko had to admit, even if only to himself, that he was impressed with Hiei. While the koorime had impressed him with the ability not to flinch in face of his power, Yoko hadn't expected him to surpass all of his expectations.

The koorime had mastered fighting with him and his whips in the time limit he'd set and hadn't once complained about the pain inflicted on him during the training or during the few punishments he'd managed to earn. Those, Yoko admitted, were few and far between and occurred only when Hiei overstepped his bounds, testing the limits as all new partners have a tendency to do.

And the sex, well, there was no way he could complain about that. Hiei had proven time and again that there were much better uses for his mouth than talking. Yoko smirked, thinking that he might test those uses later.

Now, though, he had more important matters to consider. It had been three months since he'd taken Hiei on as his partner and it was time to announce it to the world. The time allotted to him for training purposes was up. And Hiei was as trained as he would ever be. There was no doubt in Yoko's mind that his partner was up for the task. He just wasn't sure the world would be up to accepting Hiei.

Once Yoko made the announcement, other S class demons were going to start coming for frequent visits to see how well behaved Hiei was. And with the disdain for male koorimes so high in the makai, if Hiei made even one mistake within the first year of observation, the consequences would be nigh unbearable.

Yoko sighed and relaxed back into the couch, wishing he had a way to make the world see that the prejudice they held towards Hiei for his very existence was unwarranted. But the makai was steeped so deeply in the old ways that it wasn't going to be easy to keep a claim on the S class title with Hiei as his partner. But it wasn't a title he could afford to lose.

Losing S class status would seriously cramp his style. He was used to the luxury and infamy that the status provided him with. The power he had would always be S class level-that couldn't be taken away from him. But once you became S class, it stopped being about the levels of power you possessed and started being about how well you played politics with the other S class demons.

And this move, taking a male koorime as his partner, wasn't going to be viewed favorably by anyone. Not unless he spent the obligatory two years proving to everyone in the S class world that Hiei was the perfect partner. That there was no "bad blood" in him that made him act out inappropriately during formal events or during visits from other S class demons who would spend the entire time subtly criticizing him.

That dance was going to be difficult enough, but add on top of that the fact that Yoko was fairly sure he was in love with Hiei and everything started to disintegrate. First, because he hadn't told Hiei how he felt. And he knew the koorime wasn't likely to just "know" because he lacked self-worth. How could he not, with the life he'd been forced to lead? Yoko rubbed his eyes. All of this was making his head hurt. "Mist," he called. "Bring me some chamomile tea."

A couple minutes later, Yoko was nursing his tea as he considered the options before him. He had to announce Hiei. There was no way around that and he didn't want there to be. He wasn't ashamed of his partner. The political dancing was going to be tiring but it would be good to exercise those muscles. He hadn't had to use them in a long while, being as secure as he was in his position as the makai's most legendary thief.

But that was the least of his worries. There were sure to be demons who would disapprove of Hiei so much that they would send assassins or attempt it themselves, depending on their stature in the S class world. There were a scant few demons ranked higher than Yoko and they wouldn't bother themselves with someone of a lesser rank. In a way, it made Yoko wish he was still on the bottom of the rung. At least lower status demons didn't have to worry about upper class demons coming after them. There was no reason to usurp a lesser being's position.

But he had to face facts. He was a high rank S class demon with an A-class power D-ranked demon as a partner. That fact alone would cause problems but add into the mix that not only was his partner a koorime, but a male koorime, and the problems immediately escalated. And part of Yoko dreaded the tightrope walking he was being forced to do, but the rest of him was exhilarated. This was _why_ he'd taken on such a difficult partner in the first place. He'd been bored out of his mind and Hiei had been the only demon to stir any interest in him at all.

Yoko smiled, thinking of the day that Hiei had first graced his doorstep and told Mist off. Not a lot of demons had the guts to tell off a tremor demon, but Hiei hadn't flinched. And in the time since that day, he'd overheard his partner threatening his aide with death. Not that such a threat would be carried out, of course, since Yoko was the only one allowed to decide who Hiei could kill.

A light knock on the door told him Hiei was outside.

"Come in," Yoko said. He watched as the door opened, one of Hiei's hands falling down from the doorknob to resume its proper position on the floor as he crawled into the room. Yoko had meant to lift the rule that made Hiei spend all of his time on hands and knees after it'd sunken into his partner that he was allowed nothing without his permission, not even his own two feet, but he'd gotten to enjoy watching Hiei crawl to him too much to do so.

Hiei crawled to the couch where Yoko sat, the muscles of his back bunching up under the light blue tank-top he wore, his black shorts outlining the muscles in his thighs. Once in front of Yoko, he sat back on his heels, kneeling properly in front of his Solo, hands clasped behind him with his head up and eyes downcast.

"I take it you're done with your training for today?"

"Yes, Solo," Hiei said.

Yoko smiled. It had taken a few punishments before Hiei had learned that even rhetorical questions demanded answers. "Have you made any progress with the poisoner?"

Hiei grimaced. "Not as much as I would like, Solo. I am having trouble memorizing the plant names."

Yoko raised an eyebrow. "You've been working on poisons for almost a month and you're still having trouble with the plant names?"

Hiei nodded, ashamed. "Yes, Solo," he said, remembering himself.

Yoko was pleased that Hiei had caught himself. He had no wish to punish his partner for something so minuscule when they had such an important matter to discuss. But that would wait. Right now, he needed to find a way to speed up Hiei's learning. Poisons were one of the simplest fighting techniques at his disposal and Hiei was going to be at a severe disadvantage if he didn't learn the ins and outs of it before the first assassin was on their doorstep. "I will start coming with you to lessons," he said.

"Solo?" Hiei startled. Yoko _never_ came to lessons with him.

Yoko raised an eyebrow. "Unless you have an objection?"

"No, of course not," Hiei said hastily. "It just took me by surprise. You've not shown interest in attending lessons with me before."

"This is a matter of life and death," Yoko said, turning his serious gaze on his partner. "I have to announce you to the S class world next week."

Hiei flinched at the news, but didn't break his gaze. "They're going to send assassins," he said, his voice cool. "You need me to learn poisons so I can defend myself."

"Yes," Yoko said, unsurprised that Hiei had put the pieces together so easily. His partner was more than a match for him in intelligence. "I will help you learn."

"It's going to be bad, isn't it?" Hiei asked, his voice soft.

Yoko reached out a hand, running it through Hiei's soft locks. "Worse than you can imagine, Hiei. Worse by far."

Hiei nodded, an eerie calm falling over him. "We've not fought together on a real battlefield," he said, mind racing. "How badly will that affect us?"

Yoko gave a smile that was all teeth. "It won't."

Hiei shivered at the intense look in his Solo's eyes. "Why not?" he asked, his voice a near whisper.

"Because," Yoko said, "we're going to fight together for real tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, Solo?" Hiei asked.

"Yes," Yoko said. "We're going to go Hunting." A thrill of excitement ran through him. It'd been a long time since he'd gone Hunting. The small amount of money bounties offered for demons who had escaped into worlds other than the makai was rarely worth it. But the thrill of the chase with his partner by his side...he closed his eyes, shuddering with the pleasure he knew it would bring them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Hiei wiped the sweat out of his eyes, shielding them as he considered Yoko. In the three months they'd been together, he'd seen a world he'd never imagined existed. Yoko took his responsibility towards him seriously. There was no leniency, no transgression allowed to slip by unpunished. And while that would have scared away other demons, it made Hiei feel safe.

Being secure in Yoko gave him freedom he'd only dreamed of before. The rules he followed were tough, but achievable and Yoko rewarded as well as he punished. Hiei shivered, turning his attention to the hunt.

It wasn't the first time he'd been in the human world, but it was the first time he'd visited it without being hunted himself. The world, though not as lush as the forests of the makai, held a certain aesthetic appeal. He understood why Yoko had chosen a demon who'd escaped here as their prey. But he still didn't like the fact they were hunting a kitsune. It seemed wrong.

Yoko nudged his shoulder. "Follow me," he whispered, dropping into a crouch.

Hiei copied his Solo and moved behind him. They stealthed through the light brush of the forest where they'd caught scent of their prey. While he didn't like hunting a kitsune, he wasn't about to risk disobedience. He'd express his concerns when the opportunity presented itself.

Yoko halted and Hiei swore lightly when he almost fell over the kitsune. "He's melding," he said, a note of surprise in his tone.

"Melding?" Hiei asked.

"Not many kitsune can do it. He's blending his scent with the forest's smell. We won't be able to find him until he leaves."

Hiei settled on his heels. "Why are we hunting him?"

Yoko turned, studying Hiei.

The sudden focus of all Yoko's attention made it difficult for Hiei to keep from squirming.

"This bothers you," Yoko said. "Why?"

Hiei flushed. "It's like hunting family."

Yoko raised an eyebrow. "It's not 'like,'" he said. "He's my cousin. We are hunting family."

"That's worse, Solo." Hiei said, trying to keep his tone respectful. The lift of Yoko's brows told him he'd failed. "Every koorime I've met has hunted me. It hits close to home."

Yoko gave a slow nod. "We'll discuss your disrespect later."

Hiei swallowed, but didn't protest. He knew better.

"As for hunting my chasing, we're doing it so the others after him don't get him first. It's bad luck for a kitsune to be caught by someone other than another kitsune."

"Because of the legend?" Hiei asked.

Yoko nodded. "There's no truth in it, but no one ever believes that. I know kitsunes who've been tortured to the edge of death for refusing to grant a wish with power they don't possess."

Hiei flushed. He hadn't even considered the other reasons they might be hunting the kitsune. Eyes downcast, he followed Yoko to the edge of the forest. He'd thought the worst of his Solo. Instincts born from the life he'd lived before Yoko had come back to bite him.

Yoko frowned as he looked at the sky. "It'll be dark soon," he said.

Hiei blinked. "Already?" Days in the makai were longer. He stared at the sky, amazed.

"Tell me," Yoko said, tone low. "Is there a reason you think us being on a hunt makes you exempt from the rules?"

Hiei's insides froze. "No, Solo," he whispered.

"Hmm," Yoko said, eyeing him. "You're certain?"

Hiei fell to his knees. "Yes, Solo." He'd broken two rules, both of them about respect. And he'd broken them consecutively. He swallowed and hoped the hunt didn't get cut short because of him.

"I'm tempted to take you back to basics. Three more months would certainly give me time to figure out how to deal with the other S class."

The threat sent a shiver down Hiei's spine. Another three months of micromanagement wasn't appealing. But he didn't argue. He knew better.

Yoko paused to sniff, cocking his head to the side. "He's moving. Let's go."

Relief flooded him and Hiei rose into a crouch behind his Solo, not daring to bring his shoulders higher than Yoko's waist.

Yoko spared him a quick glance. "We'll finish this later. But Hiei, if you screw up during this Hunt, you'll be on punishment detail for three weeks."

"Yes, Solo," Hiei said, fighting a flinch. He'd had to do it once before, but only for a day. It was exactly like it sounded-he dealt out punishments in Yoko's stead, but if they were too harsh or too soft for the kitsune's liking, Hiei got dealt the difference. By the end of the day, he'd earned over 200 strokes. While he'd dealt with that many by bandits in the past, even twenty with Yoko's whip was difficult to take. The kitsune was merciless.

Hiei followed Yoko, focused intently on what the kitsune was doing. While he wasn't expected to participate in this hunt and capture mission, he was expected to watch Yoko and learn how the kitsune did things. It was vital he learn how Yoko worked so that he could mesh his style of hunting with his Solo's.

Yoko stopped and Hiei ground to a halt, sliding into a side stance to keep from knocking the kitsune down. He'd never seen anyone come to a complete stop as fast as Yoko and it kept throwing him off his stride. But if he fell on Yoko, with everything that had already happened today...he shivered.

They were standing in the middle of a clearing at the base of a tree. The only tree for a hundred yards. It seemed odd to him, but maybe it was a human thing. Hiei frowned. "I thought-" he began, voice a low whisper. Hadn't his Solo said their prey was melding?

Yoko held up a hand, silencing him, and pointed upwards. He mouthed, _He's in the top of the tree._

Hiei arched an eyebrow, but obediently mouthed his words as well. _Kinda obvious, isn't it?_

Yoko smiled grimly, but didn't add a reply. He burst into action instead, vaulting into the tree, melting into his kitsune form mid-leap. Before Hiei could blink, Yoko was back on the ground, a younger single-tailed kitsune held in his mouth. The smaller demon trembled, but made no move towards escape.

Wrapping his paws securely around the smaller demon's throat, Yoko blended back into his human shape. His paws became hands wrapped around the kitsune's throat, who was struggling to escape, hoping to use the moment of transformation to his advantage.

"Mayai, cut it out," Yoko said, tone harsh. "You're going to hurt yourself. Shift so we can get out of here."

The small kitsune stilled and shifted, turning into a slender human with small ears. He tilted his face up to look at Yoko. "Cousin?" he asked, confusion rapidly turning to clarity. "Yoko! I haven't seen you in years! But why were you hunting me?"

Yoko arched an eyebrow. "Your image is all over the bounty hunter's lair. I couldn't let them get to you. Not before you give me what you owe me."

Mayai sighed. "That again? I told you, its-"

"I know it's fake. It's realistic enough I can use it as a bribe."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. This was all over a bauble of some sort? He shook his head. He knew kitsune had an affinity for shiny things, but to go this far seemed ridiculous. "What is it?" he asked, belatedly remembering to add "Solo" at the last second. He didn't miss the scowl Yoko shot at him and he ducked his head in embarrassed shame. Twice in a day was bad enough. To nearly make it three...he shook with how close he'd come.

"I have an old picture frame that's a replica of the Watercolor Cage," Mayai said, off-handedly. He had no interest in the relic. "More importantly, cousin, when did you get a partner? I don't remember you having one before..." He frowned, concentrating.

"Because Hiei's the first partner I've taken," Yoko said. "And I'm getting ready to announce him in a couple days."

"That's amazing. Congratulations," Mayai said. "Now can I please go back to my nap?"

"No," Yoko said. "I'm taking you to Trazi. She's going to be pissed that you've allowed your face to become known."

Mayai flinched. "You aren't serious. She'll kill me."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. Hadn't Yoko said this was about family? Still, it wasn't his place to interfere. Like he had tried to do earlier. Shame rushed through him. This was kitsune business.

"Not for that. For your abysmal melding, on the other hand..."

"Yoko! Not her, please. Anything but Trazi. The last time I had to see her she shaved all my fur! Do you know how embarassing it is to run around as a kitsune with no fur? I still have nightmares."

Yoko considered the smaller demon for a few minutes. "Okay," he said. "You can come home with me. After all." He locked gazes with Hiei. "I need someone around who can help keep my partner out of trouble."

Hiei snorted. If anything, Mayai would be getting him into trouble. He didn't buy the innocent good boy act the kitsune was putting on, not at all. But he didn't protest. Not with the threat of punishment detail hanging over his head. He swallowed and followed the others as they walked.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Yoko frowned thoughtfully at his cousin, who was leading the way back to his mansion. He'd expected the younger kitsune to put up more of a fight. That he hadn't really struggled worried Yoko. It meant the bounty hunters were hot on Mayai's tail and he'd seen Yoko as a way to divert their attention.

After all, there wasn't a single bounty hunter in the Makai that wouldn't love to get their hands on the elusive legend. Yoko sighed and spared a glance back at Hiei.

The koorime walked with his shoulders slightly hunched, hands tucked into his pockets. To Yoko, his body language was screaming that he knew he'd done something wrong and was mentally preparing himself for punishment.

One of the best things about taking Hiei on as a partner was the koorime's sense of honor. He wouldn't lie to Yoko, not even to save himself from punishment. And he'd own up to the smallest infraction, ones that Yoko might sometimes be inclined to overlook. It made Yoko smile. He hated being lied to, despite having to use lies himself when he needed them for his work.

He cast another worried glance at Mayai. For the young fox to fall into his life now, during a brewing season of trouble, didn't bode well. Having to take care of Mayai, on top of dealing with the S class demons regarding his partnership with Hiei-Yoko didn't know if he was up to that much of a challenge.

Ah, hell. Who was he kidding? He lived for challenge. The challenge Hiei presented had been the reason he'd agreed to take the koorime on his partner in the first place. Well, that, and the fact that male koorime were so damned rare.

"Mayai," Yoko said, keeping his tone even. "How far behind you are they?"

Mayai started, his gaze furtively darting between Yoko and the trees beside the path they walked on. "I don't know what you mean," he said.

Yoko scowled and yanked the younger kitsune back towards him, curling his hand around Mayai's neck so that the tip of his claws pressed against the kitsune's throat. "How far?" he asked again.

Mayai swallowed against the pressure on his throat. "Three days," he whispered.

Yoko released him. "And when were you planning on telling me this?" he asked.

"Um. Never?" Mayai said, flinching at the warning growl Yoko gave. "I'm pretty sure I lost them! I've been covering my tracks."

Hiei snorted. "Any fool can see you don't know the first thing about covering your tracks," he said. "You're like a kit trying to run before it can crawl."

Mayai scowled, planting his feet with his hands on his hips. "You can't talk to me like that!" he said.

Hiei arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Mayai whirled to face Yoko. "Cousin, tell him he can't speak to me like that!"

"Like what?" Yoko asked.

"He's being disrespectful!" Mayai stuck out his bottom lip.

It was all Yoko could do not to laugh at his cousin. "From where I'm standing, it sounds to me as if he's speaking as an adult to an errant child," he said.

"I am not a child!" Mayai said, the petulance in his tone a clear contrast to the words.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "You are a child if you think claiming you're not one makes it so."

Mayai looked between the two of them, trying to gauge which one of them would take his side. When it became clear neither of them would, he deflated. "Fine," he said flatly. "I'll just go my own way."

Yoko snagged him by the collar before he could take two steps. "You'll do no such thing," he said, voice dangerously low. "You brought bounty hunters to my doorstep, cousin, and danger to me and mine. You will see no harm befalls any in my household before you part ways with me, as kitsune law decrees."

Mayai flinched at the words, huddling into himself as the reprimand was delivered. "Aye," he said finally. "I'll see you through the trouble I've brought."

Yoko glanced at Hiei and saw the desire that burned in his partner to ask about the law he'd just invoked, but the koorime didn't open his mouth. Yoko smiled grimly. His partner had proven to him pretty quickly that he knew when it was okay to cross the boundaries he set and when it wasn't. And right now was definitely not the time.

"I'll protect you from the hunters," Yoko said. "It's my duty as an Elder of our clan. But you will pull your weight around the house and keep your paws off my possessions or you'll find yourself rooming with Mist."

Mayai shuddered. "The tremor demon you claim as your aide?"

"The very same."

"I'll leave your prizes alone, Cousin," Mayai said. "I've no wish to find out how loud a tremor demon snores."

Hiei covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. At Mayai's questioning glare, he said, "I pictured Mist snoring. It wasn't a pretty sight."

Mayai's glare softened and he laughed, a light, tinkly sound that seemed to fit the kitsune. "No, I daresay it wasn't."

Yoko smiled. If his partner and his cousin could get along, it would make dealing with the S class demons coming after Hiei and the bounty hunters pursuing Mayai much easier to handle. Those two problems were enough of a handful without Hiei and Mayai being at each other's throats. Figuring out how to deal with those two problems-well, that was another story altogether.


	13. Chapter 13

Once inside Yoko's mansion, Hiei dropped to his knees, ignoring the look the other kitsune gave him. He'd already tried Yoko's temper too far; he wasn't going to try it further.

"Your room is in the same shape it was when you left it," Yoko said to Mayai. "I have a matter to attend to, so go ahead and get yourself settled in."

"Alright," Mayai said, shifting to kitsune form before bounding upstairs.

Yoko turned to Hiei. "What am I going to do with you? I take you on a hunt and you forget the rules. Do I need to take you back to basics?"

Hiei swallowed, throat dry. Going back to basics after he'd progressed this far would be depressing beyond belief, but he didn't have the urge to challenge Yoko after the way the evening had gone. _So far I've come,_ he thought, _from the sullen koorime who refused to partner out of distrust._ "If it pleases you, Solo," he said.

Yoko made a small noise of approval. "It seems you still retain some sense of propriety. I could whip you for your misbehavior, instead of busting you back down. How many lashes do you think your actions warrant, Hiei? Make sure to give me a number."

Hiei flinched, the motion close to imperceptible. Being asked to provide a number for his own punishment was worse than being on punishment detail. If he was even a single stroke off, he'd receive twice the original number. "May I have a moment to consider the question, Solo?"

"You may."

A full minute passed before Yoko spoke again. "Give me a number."

Hiei didn't hesitate, though there was no way to be sure his guess was accurate. "Sixty-five, Solo."

"Too bad," Yoko said. "You went twenty too high. It's good you expect me to be so harsh, Hiei. It means I'm doing my job as your Solo well."

Hiei bowed, resting his forehead on the lush carpet. Because he'd guessed wrong, he would be receiving ninety strokes—twice the intended.

"Because I'm addressing your lack of respect," Yoko said, "I will spread the lashes out. I think fifty to your back and twenty to each of your feet should suffice."

Hiei drew in a soundless gulp of air. Twenty whip strokes weren't a joke and his feet were the most sensitive and vital of his extremities. The punishment would affect his ability to balance, to walk, and to fight. But Yoko would expect him to compensate for that weakness with his extraordinary ability to withstand pain.

"Well, Hiei," Yoko said. "Your choice. The whipping or back to basics?"

"The whipping, please, Solo," Hiei said, flushing. Participating in his own punishment brought home to him just how badly he'd disappointed Yoko.

"Then get into position. I'll be whipping your feet first."

"Yes, Solo." Hiei hated this part. He laid on his back and lifted his right leg so that the sole of his foot was exposed. He braced it by putting his left foot behind his right knee and grabbed his left foot with his right hand, locking the right leg in place. Moving would anger Yoko and double the strokes, and Hiei was expected to do the seemingly impossible and remain in place without any external restraints.

Yoko unfurled a whip from one of the seeds in his hair. It was a thorn-less whip, as he didn't wish to embed thorns in his partner's skin. "Count them."

"Yes, Solo."

The whip whistled through the air and split the skin on Hiei's foot when it landed. He didn't bother to hold back and shouted in pain as it landed, forcing himself to stay still. "One, Solo," he said.

The first ten fell in rapid succession, Hiei announcing their arrival with a wavering, but unfaltering, voice. As the tenth landed, he cried, "Ten, Solo," and then no more fell. It took him a moment to realize that Yoko had stopped. "Solo?" he asked.

"Switch legs."

Hiei obeyed, even as he wondered why the switch was occurring before twenty strokes had landed. And then the first stroke landed on his left foot and he didn't have time to wonder anymore as he got lost in the haze of pain.

Like before, Yoko stopped at ten. "Stand up and brace yourself against the wall."

"Yes, Solo," Hiei said, hissing as his cracked and bloodied feet made contact with the floor. He positioned himself against the wall and took the fifty strokes, counting as they fell. Every stroke that landed on his back pushed his feet further into the floor and he almost missed the thirty-fifth count as the pain in his feet brought tears to his eyes. But he recovered quickly, having no wish to double the count. Mistakes with Yoko called for double or triple the original punishment, and Hiei was under no illusion of being able to withstand and extended whipping. Not when this one, a light one by Yoko's standards, was pushing his limits because of the additional pain in his feet.

The fiftieth stroke fell. "Fifty, Solo," Hiei said, panting with the effort it took to remain standing up.

"Resume the foot whipping position."

"Yes, Solo." Hiei dropped to the floor, tears flowing freely down his face. He'd only gotten to the point of tears a few times before, but he made no attempt a hide or prevent them. Yoko loved to see his pain and his emotions expressed openly.

Yoko dealt the last twenty strokes, ten to each foot, and then reduced the whip back to a seed that he tucked into his hair. "Well done, Hiei. Is it safe to assume you'll mind your manners?"

Hiei gasped as he settled into a kneel at Yoko's feet, the pain of movement making his eyes water. "Yes, Solo. Thank you for correcting me."

"I don't understand why no one else took you on," Yoko said. "You're everything everyone could want in a partner. The first of the S-class demons will be here tomorrow. I have no doubt you'll make me proud."

"Thank you, Solo," Hiei said. "I hope I live up to your expectations."


End file.
